So Much For the Afterglow
by poeticgrace
Summary: Fires rage when two drastic opposites are trapped together during a night of terror. Can they see past the reverie to the truth that lies beneath? Glo.
1. Chapter 1

He watched, poised and stoic, as the girl fought feverishly to escape the arms of his best friend. In his short time in Port Charles, the young man had never seen her so angry. Though she had called him out more than once, this was the only time she had ever lost her usual grace. As she screamed at him about her older sister, he couldn't help but wish that someone cared about him that much. Logan Hayes had never met anyone in his entire life that seemed to love as deeply as Georgie Jones.

Her brown eyes were wide with innocent fire as she ordered him to shut up over and over again. Emotions were running high in the mausoleum that was Wyndamere, putting all guests on edge. Dressed in his white coat and tails, Logan wished not for the first time that just one major event in the New York town could actually go as planned. He had planned to spend the night dancing with the beautiful Lulu Spencer in his arms, but instead, he was stuck arguing with a feisty brunette in a darkened room. Watching her defend the almost undefendable Maxie, he admired the way she fought for someone that she loved.

"Come on, calm done," Cooper prodded, urging Georgie to settle in his own gentle way. His words were lost on her as she fought harder and harder to escape from his grip. She was lunging desperately toward Logan, hungry to inflict any sort of pain on him that she could. If she could just wrap her hands around his throat or hit him, she knew that he would feel the same pain and fear that consumed her now. However, even with her adrenaline running high, the former soldier was too strong.

Logan looked on with unexpected compassion as she began to wear herself out. Cooper's hold on her loosened slightly when she seemed defeated, resolved to whatever fate lay ahead for everyone. He tried to search for the right words to soothe Georgie, well aware that he was not her favorite person. With his mind off Lulu for the first time all night, his thoughts focused only on the young woman in front of him. He would never understand why a girl as good as Georgie would stick up for Maxie, but that's what family does. Most days, it was hard to believe that the two very opposite girls were related at all, but in the end, their sisterhood was more than apparent.

Lacing his fingers behind his head, Logan turned around and tried to gather his thoughts. Even if he didn't have much use for Maxie, it was clear that his best friend and her sister did. More than once, Cooper had put aside his own emotions to help him when he was in a crunch. After what he had done to his supposed best friend, Logan suspected that he owed him that much. And even if he didn't exactly like the girl, he didn't want anything bad to happen to Maxie. He had seen far too many people die in Iraq and wouldn't wish that kind of sadness on anyone's family.

Just as he was about to turn back toward his friends, Cooper lost hold of Georgie all together, setting her free for the first time in many minutes. She flew across the room toward him, reaching his arms in record time. Wracked with exhaustion from sobbing and fighting, she hit her fists against his chest with little force behind them. Coop tried to convince her to stop, but it was far too late. Instead, her fight only got that much more frantic as she released all the stress, anger and fear that had been buried inside of her over the past couple of years.

"I hate you!" she screamed, her voice echoing in the lofty, hollow room. Crocodile tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. Logan's first instinct was to reach up and brush them away with his thumb, but instead, he elected to hold onto her forearms firmly. He knew that he just had to be patient, to wait out her anxious rant. The overwhelming fear in her chocolate brown eyes only made him want to take care of her that much more. "It should have been you. He should have taken you."

"Georgie…" Cooper drawled, his eastern accent thick with exhaustion.

Logan held up his hand and shook his head. "Just let her talk. She's upset."

Georgie stopped for a moment and looked up at him, her face masked with confusion. Coop shrugged helplessly as he brushed his hand over his gun. "Look, you stay here with her. I am going to check out the rest of the rooms in this hall."

Neither Georgie nor Logan said anything as Coop left them alone in the formal sitting room. The silence became almost unbearable until they both realized that Logan was still holding her. Georgie stepped away uncomfortably, huffing as she straightened the train of her black and white gown. She had spent hours looking for just the right dress with Maxie, scouring the pages of catalog after catalog at the Metrocourt boutique. At the time, she had thought that maybe she would get to finally tell Spinelli how she felt. Even coming across the lake with Coop on the launch, she had believed that it was possible that her dreams could still come true. Now, as she turned to meet the steady gaze of the handsome Texan trapped with her, she wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

"I know you're upset, Georgie, but I really thought that Maxie could have snuck off from the ballroom," Logan confessed with a hushed tone. His first thought was to attack the blonde for her past sins, but who was he to judge? It took two to tango, and if memory served him right, he had been a very willing partner. "She has been trying to get Coop's attention for weeks. With everything going on, I guess I just thought she might try to take advantage of that."

She was still so angry with him but even she couldn't deny the honesty in his voice. "I know you think Maxie is a certain way, but there is a reason for who she has become. No one has ever loved her selflessly other than Mac. Our parents both left, and no guy has ever stuck around long enough to make her feel worth it. She has spent her entire life trying to live up the memory of a little girl who died so that she could live. More than anything, she is self destructive. I know it's hard to believe it, but under all of that, there is someone to love. Maybe she doesn't seem worth it, but she's my big sister. She's apart of what little family I still have left."

Logan stepped toward her timidly, searching her eyes for a hint of what was going on beneath the surface. She was easy to read, her every feeling and thought playing on her beautiful face. "You're wrong," he countered.

"Logan," she implored tiredly. "I really don't want to listen to you tell me how bad Maxie is. Whatever reason you have, I can pretty much promise you that I've already heard it. I mean, Spinelli even calls her the Bad Blonde One. If that's not a clue, I don't know what is."

"That's not what I meant," he retorted. "I meant that Mac isn't the only one who has loved her selflessly. Besides Coop and your father, it's pretty clear that you have loved Maxie. Even when she was at her absolute worst, you have always found a way to defend her. I don't know many people who could be that for anyone, let alone her."

A small smile lit up her face. She had long ago given up on anyone understanding why she did the things she did. Dillon had been the last person to truly get her, but he was thousands of miles away now. "Thank you," she replied. "I know that she's not an easy person to like, but I would never abandon her. Now, she is missing, and that lunatic could hurt or kill her. I don't know what I would do…"

Her voice trailed off as she brought her hands up to cover her face. Silver tears formed in the corner of her eyes as reality began to sink in once again. The mere thought of losing her sister shook her to her very core. For the millionth time in the last year, Georgie mentally cursed her mother for being so selfish. Felicia had chosen many things over her daughters, staying away even when they needed her most. She wasn't sure how her little family would go on if they were left with only Mac and herself.

"It's okay, Sweet Potato," Logan assured her, moving slowly to wrap his arms around her. Her entire body shook with sobs as she buried her face into his shirt. It was uncharacteristic of either of them to seek comfort in anyone, especially each other. Still, as he ran his hands up and down her back, they both relaxed for the first time in hours. "Maxie is a survivor. From what I know, she has made it though a lot worse than the likes of a psychopath. She is determined to make my life horrible and win Coop back. I doubt she is going to give up out with one hell of a fight."

Georgie nodded confidently, her chin bumping against his strong torso. She remained silent and allowed the tears to come. It had been a long time since she had allowed herself to feel anything so deeply. Logan brought his hands up to stroke her hair, trying his best to reassure her any way that he could. When she finally felt calm enough to breathe, Georgie pulled back slightly and looked up at her companion. "I wish I was at home in bed," she confessed. "I would do anything to be curled up in my flannel pajamas, rereading my favorite novel for the thousandth time."

"What book is that?" he asked as he moved them toward the couch. Kicking away the white drop cloth with his left foot, he helped her sit down on the velvet furniture.

"_Wuthering Heights_," she answered. "I've read it so many times that the words are starting to fade from the pages. It's gotten me through so many hard moments, like when my mother disappeared before my high school graduation or the months that followed my divorce from Dillon. It gives me hope when it seems like nothing good will ever happen again."

Logan knew the book well. "My mom used to read it," he told her. "She would carry it around in this old canvas bag to read it on the bus when she went from one job to the next. I remember finding her on our porch so many times, crying as if she was trying to forget someone. That image is so etched in my mind, maybe it's part of the reason I hate Scott so much. Meeting him, those moments just came crashing back all over again."

For the first time, Georgie saw the hint of a real person in Logan Hayes. She had never seen him so vulnerable, and as Logan watched her, he knew that she saw all of him right then. He felt naked in front of her, something that made him more uncomfortable than she could know. No one had heard him speak so openly like this, not even Lulu. He had never trusted her enough to share this part of the past. With Georgie, the words came easily and naturally.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

He nodded in response. "Please, tell me," he pressed, reaching out to take her hand. The move was so fluid, almost second nature. He could hear the distant chime of a clock as he drew a deep breath and exhaled softly.

"I'm really scared."

"I don't think that's a secret, Sweet Potato," he informed her. "We're all pretty scared. I probably shouldn't admit that because I am supposed to be this brave, macho soldier, but there is nothing about this night that feels safe." As the words left his mouth, he wasn't sure if he feared the physical danger outside or the emotional danger percolating inside the room.

Georgie bit her bottom lip, looking up from hooded eyes. "Well, even though I know that you would rather be with Lulu right now, I really appreciate you staying with me. I'm glad that I'm not alone."

An unsuspecting part of Logan wanted to tell her that he would never leave her alone. He had always felt like he had to fight to get every part of Lulu, but Georgie was an open book. She was right there in front of him, willing to give him a piece of her soul. Her gentleness made him want to take care of her, although he knew that she could definitely take care of herself.

The sudden depth of his emotions scared him. Dropping her hand, he turned to look out the window. In all of his brave reverie, he couldn't find the courage to look into her eyes. He knew that he should just man up and tell her how he was feeling. Instead, he simply whispered, "I'm glad I'm not alone anymore, too."


	2. Chapter 2

She stood at the window gazing out over the water, her bare shoulders bathed in moonlight. There was a comforting grace to her contented silence as she watched the lightning dance across the glassy surface below the expansive mansion. Georgie was doing her best to remain calm and brave, the ever-understanding young woman that she had been raised to be. However, as the minutes ticked on without word from Cooper or Maxie, she was becoming increasingly worried once again. The unsettling presence of Logan Hayes left her feeling even more disconcerted. As her eyes shifted back to where he sat alone on the sofa, she forced herself to suppress a pang of something all too familiar.

"He's been gone a long time," his rugged Texas accent drawled in the darkness. Looking back over at him, she was surprised to see him hunched over, his head in his hands. "This is not how this night was supposed to go. I just wanted to do something nice for Lulu. After everything…I owed her one perfect night."

He knew that his admission was uncharacteristic, but there was nothing about this night that was ordinary. Georgie had an uncanny ability to draw the truth out of those around her, and he was no exception to her spell. She remained quiet, choosing only to cross her arms around her curvy frame protectively. "This isn't what I expected either," she confessed sadly. "On the launch coming over, the evening held this sort of magical promise. Looking up at the candlelit ballroom, I was sure that anything could happen. I guess I was kind of right."

Logan laughed humorlessly before raking his fingers through his sandy blonde hair nervously. He shrugged off his jacket and propped his feet up on the hand-carved coffee table in front of the dark red velvet couch. Closing his eyes for the first time since becoming trapped in the dark room with the younger Jones girl, he tried to figure a way out of this. He wasn't worried about himself; instead, his concern rested on Georgie. While very few people would care if anything was to happen to him, an entire community would mourn if she was lost. The mere responsibility of taking care of her would be enough to drive him, even if he wasn't feeling something somewhere in the depths of his heart.

"Maybe we should have gone with him," Georgie piped up. He turned to look at her, his eyes grazing over the gentle slope of her neck. Chestnut curls played at the delicate nape, just daring someone to entangle their fingers in the silky tresses. "Mac always said that there is safety in numbers. We could have looked for her together or split up. Anything would be better than being stuck in here."

"Am I that bad?" he taunted before growing serious. "Maxie wouldn't want you to put yourself at risk. I would never give that girl credit for anything, but it's pretty clear that she loves you. Coop will find her and bring her back her safely. For now, I think it's best that we just sit tight until I can figure out a plan."

There was nothing Georgie hated more than being told what to do, but given the circumstances, she really didn't know what else to do. Besides, he sounded genuinely worried about her, not condescending. "You're probably right," she relented. "I just hate feeling helpless. I've never been one to have people do anything for me. It's always been on me to take care of everything. I'm not used to needing anyone."

"Well, Sweet Potato, I'm not used to anyone needing me," he replied with a wry smile. Kicking off his uncomfortable black shoes, he looked at her over his shoulder. "The only time anyone has ever really needed me was when I was in Iraq. It was kind of nice to know that what I did mattered to people because there was someone out there relying on me. Coop was the first person besides my mom who ever really gave a damn. I guess that's why I followed him here. He still needed me. He's the only one."

"He's not the only one," she argued. "I mean, you just pointed out for yourself that I need you. And about what you said earlier, Logan, you're not that bad. You need to be a little more confident in yourself. There are apparently two people in this world who think you are worth something – Coop and Lulu. If they can see the good in you, there just might be hope for you."

"And what about you, Georgie? What do you see?" 

She was startled by the unexpected question. His usually cocky demeanor was gone, replaced by an emotionally raw little boy simply seeking acceptance. "I see you, Logan," Georgie answered. Her blunt honesty surprised even her. She was usually more careful with her words, painstakingly dissecting each syllable. "The good and the bad, it's an open book for me to read. You come off as this smug, arrogant jerk, and that is a part of you. But underneath it, the part that counts, there is someone who just wants someone to love him."

A vivid memory flashed in Logan's mind, instantly recalling a similar conversation he had with his mother in the months before she died. They had sat on the front porch one evening, sipping sweet tea and watching the sun fade into the magenta horizon. She had told him that there were going to be times when he would build walls so high around himself that he never thought anyone would get in. Then, someday, he would meet a girl that made him want to knock those walls down. She would see past the visage. When he had met Lulu, he had thought she was going to be the one worth deconstructing his fortress, but listening to Georgie, he suddenly wasn't so sure.

"You kind of remind me of my mother," he commented airily, not wanting to hint at how much that meant to him. He knew that he had already told her too much. "You don't really talk about your mother much. Lulu said that your parents were both spies but now she spends a lot of time in Texas taking care of her grandmother."

It was Georgie's turn to laugh humorlessly. Reaching down, she freed her small feet from the confines of the masochistic contraptions called stiletto heels. Padding barefoot across the room, she dropped the heels on the floor and tucked herself into the corner of the couch opposite Logan. "My parents are kind of an enigma to me," she attempted to explain. "I've only met my biological father a handful of times, all much earlier into my childhood. My mom has sort of been in and out of our lives. She doesn't even show up for the important moments. I think I got a brief phone call when I divorced Dillon, and Maxie's hostage situation at the Metrocourt only elicited a bouquet of flowers with a short note."

"So, who are you like?"

She shrugged, not really sure how to answer the question. "Maxie is so much like both our parents. She thrives on the drama, living for that adrenaline rush of whatever heist she is trying to pull. She lives by her heart, not caring what repercussions await her on the other end. But she definitely looks like our mother," Georgie analyzed aloud. "I guess I kind of look like Frisco because we both have darker features. But I'm not really like either of them. I'm more like Mac. He's reliable, honest and good-hearted. He always tries to do the right thing. He's been the only person I've ever felt like I could really depend on. He's the only parent I've ever truly had."

Logan was about to ask her another question when a booming crash fell just outside the room. He dove instinctively toward Georgie, shielding her from whatever was about to happen. Pressing his body against hers, he looked past her shoulder toward the door and focused all his attention on any sounds in the air. When nothing came, he shifted his gaze to meet her deep brown eyes. Glancing down at her mouth, he unconsciously bit his bottom lip. Finally, when the proximity became too much, he lifted himself off her. "Sorry," he apologized with a hushed whisper. "Stay here. I am going to go look and see if I can figure out what happened."

Georgie watched his retreating back as he approached the door cautiously. Just as he was about to reach for the brass doorknob, another round of crashes filled the corridor outside the door. Jumping from the sofa, she scurried barefoot toward him, desperate to reach him before he opened the door. If he insisted on investigating, she was going to be right behind him. It wasn't that she was afraid; in fact, fear was the last thing on her mind. They were together in this, and she was determined to have his back.

"I told you to stay there," he murmured softly. Georgie shrugged defiantly and tried to reach around him for the doorknob. When she was about to open her mouth in protest, Logan clamped his hands over her lips. "I need to figure out what's going on out there, Sweet Potato. I can't really focus on the task at hand if I have to worry about you, too."

"I don't need you to worry about me. In case you have forgotten, I can take care of myself," she reminded him. "Besides, you might as well forget it. I'm not about to let you do this alone. I'm not just some demure girl content to rest on her laurels while a man does her dirty work. We're a team, Logan. Just shut up and let me help you."

Her fire was enough to convince him that she could hold her own for the moment. Silently twisting the door open, he peaked around the corner. The hall was empty, the faint glow of the moon cascading through just enough to illuminate the narrow passageway. Whatever had been out there was now gone. Grateful for the temporary reprieve, he shut the door firmly and turned the lock. "I think we're safe for now."

Georgie smiled up at him, clearly relieved. She followed him back toward the couch, sitting just a little closer than she had before. "When I was a little girl, I used to dream about getting trapped in a majestic house like Wyndamere with a handsome prince," she remembered. "I was so sure that it would be romantic. I guess this is a little more like a nightmare than a fairytale."

"For someone who seems so realistic, you sure are a dreamer," he pointed out. "Before tonight, I thought I had you all figured out, but there is definitely more to you. You are a living paradox."

"Those are big words coming from you, Tex," she teased, trying her best to lighten the mood. "Women are complex creatures, what can I say? Just when you think you got one of us dames pegged, we turn out to be something completely different. What'd you think I was like?"

Logan ducked his head at her affectionate nickname. "You've always seemed so practical and wholesome, almost naïve to a point. You're obviously fiercely loyal and completely focused. Driven, honest and confident," he listed. "And you are all those things, but there is this other side of you. You're feisty and savvy. You always know exactly how to say exactly what you are thinking. You don't put up with anything from anyone, but you always want to see the best in everyone."

She listened to his description, liking the way that he saw her. The only person who had ever seen any of that in her was Dillon, but even he hadn't gotten the entire picture. It was almost like he had picked out the parts of her that he liked and accepted that as her whole person. Logan saw all of it, even the parts she reserved only for herself. "Well put," she offered simply. He grinned at her widely, clearly proud of himself.

"Thanks," he retorted. Georgie nodded as an involuntary yawn escaped from her pursed lips. "Are you tired? We're not going anywhere. Why don't you take a nap for awhile and I'll stand guard?"

"We should both stay awake," she argued. "It's the only fair thing."

"I don't care what's fair," he assured her. Grasping her ankles, he pulled her down until she was laying flat on her back on the couch. Spreading his discarded jacket over her body, he arranged her feet in his lap. "You should get some sleep."

"I'm not that tired," she lied, but her body betrayed her. Snuggling beneath the warmth of his black coat, she felt like herself for the first time in hours. Her brain was telling her to protest, but the words somehow failed to come. Instead, her heavy eyes finally dropped shut as she fell into a light but peaceful slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

More than two hours later, Logan awoke to a still dark room. It had been hours since they had heard from either Cooper or Maxie by that point, worrying him as his blurry eyes struggled to focus on his surroundings. He could feel the weight of Georgie's body against him, her chestnut tresses gently tickling the underside of his chin. Some time during the past few hours, he had managed to cuddle down next to her. As he tried to readjust himself on the antique couch, he couldn't help but notice how well her body seemed to fit against his.

Shaking his head to clear it of his thoughts, he gently lifted her arm and managed to crawl out from underneath her. Georgie stirred slightly as he laid his tuxedo jacket back over her bare arms. He watched her for a moment, studying the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She looked so serene and beautiful, as if nothing bad could ever happen to such gentle soul. Knowledge about her past told him that the sentiment failed to translate to reality. The brown-eyed genius had been through almost as much as he had in her short life.

Despite his short nap, he was beginning to feel restless in the dark room alone with Georgie. While it was important to stay and protect her, he felt like he needed to be out helping Coop fight against the unnamed enemy. Looking out over the dark water outside, he tried to figure out who would want to cause such terror. His past experiences with the Corinthos organization told him that it was likely tied to the mob. Paired with Lulu's insistence that Johnny's father was involved made it seem likely that the night wouldn't end well for everyone. He only hoped that no one he cared about would be hurt. Sure, that number was fairly limited to a select few but they were the only people he had in the world. Before tonight, he would have only counted Lulu and Cooper in that small group; now, a certain sleeping beauty topped the list.

Walking across the room, Logan decided that he would explore the surrounding corridor for any signs of his friend and her sister. He couldn't go too far because he didn't want to leave Georgie alone. Still, he could check out the rooms around him to see if something happened. He would be close enough to hear if Georgie called out for him.

Just as he was about to let himself out of the room, she shot from the couch. "Logan!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with pure terror. Clutching her hand to her chest, she whirled around, clearly relieved to find him poised at the door. "I thought you left."

"I was just going to look next door. You were sleeping so peacefully that I thought I could slip in and out without worrying you," he explained briefly. Georgie's frightened gaze told him that he wouldn't be going anywhere. "Now that you're awake, I'll just stay here with you. I'm sure Coop will be back with Maxie any time soon."

Looking down at her hands, Georgie shook her head sadly. "I'm worried that something happened to them. I want to believe that they're going to be back but we both know that it's been a long time," she whispered into the darkness. "I just want the sun to come out. Maybe if we could see them, we would have a better idea of what we are dealing with."

Logan took note of how many times she said "we" in the sentence. It was clear that they were in this together from here on out. "Hey, I am supposed to be the realist here," he teased her as he came back across the room to sit next to her. "What are we going to do if I have to be optimistic? I don't wear that so well, Sweet Potato. I kinda need you to believe here for the both of us."

"For all we know, everyone else could be dead out there," she pointed out. "That reality is enough to kill even the biggest dream. It's been hours since we heard from anyone else, Lo. What if we're just biding our time?"

He shook his head firmly. "We'll have no more of that. I am going to get you out of this, I promise. I don't make too many of those either because I prefer to keep my word. It's the only thing I can count on."

"Did you keep your word when you slept with my sister?"

"Wow," he said, clearly stunned. "I guess if you wanted to be technical, I did keep my word. I made a bet with your sister, and we both came through. I regret that it ever happened, but it did. It's not something I can go back and change."

"It's not who you are," she retorted. "I don't understand why you did that. It's like you purposely sabotaged the relationship before it even happened. Maybe you don't think you deserve anything that good. I'm not sure what it was."

Peering up at her with hooded eyes, Logan shrugged. "I'm still not sure that I deserve anything good, but I'm starting to wonder if I did it because I knew things weren't right between Lulu and me. She's a great girl, but I don't want to have to fight so hard to have someone. I always imagined that when I did finally, you know, fall in love, the woman would want to give herself to me. That's not the case with her."

Georgie understood the struggle better than anyone. She had watched the intricate dance Lulu preferred far too many times with Dillon. After he left, she had seen her work the same routine on Spinelli. For a long time, she thought that Logan would be the third man to fall prey to her magic spell. "Loving someone is the easy part," she told him. "It's making a relationship work that's so hard. If you have the first part, it makes the fight completely worth it."

A knock at the door interrupted the comfortable pace of conversation that had fallen between them. Logan glanced at her anxiously before heading toward the door. "Who is it?" he called out.

"It's me," Coop replied. Logan quickly pulled the door open and yanked his best friend inside the room. "I know I've been gone a long time, but there is a lot going on out there. I couldn't find Maxie, and as far as I know, no one has seen her."

Logan heard Georgie choke back a sob from behind him. "Maybe you should stay with Georgie while I go out and look for awhile."

"No!" Georgie exclaimed, surprising everyone including herself. "I mean, maybe we should go out there together."

Coop shook his head. "I ran into Lucky a few minutes ago. He is taking Sam back to the parlor where everyone is waiting and then we are going to look together. The two of you need to stay here in case Maxie comes back this way. I don't want to have to worry about you guys on top of everything else. I just wanted to come back here and give you an update."

Although he didn't like the plan, Logan didn't know what else to do other than agree with Cooper. If Georgie wasn't with them, he would be right behind his best friend. However, with her there, his first priority was protecting her. There was no way he was going to drag her around a mansion crawling with armed gunmen. "Fine, we'll stay here as long as you have Lucky for backup. You just need to promise me that you're going to be careful. You're just about the only family I got."

A mutual look of understanding passed between the former soldiers. They had seen things that no man should ever have to see, and they had done that together. Side by side, those months in Iraq had bonded Logan and Cooper like brothers. There was nothing they wouldn't do for each other, including risking their lives. "I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can. Just sit tight here and do what you have to do to keep her safe." With that, Cooper headed back into the night.

When he was alone with Georgie again, Logan could hear her stifled cries from the dark confines of the couch. He didn't say anything as he headed back toward her. She turned her head slightly to hide from him, but the moonlight flooded her face to show the small silver tears that had appeared in the corners of her eyes. "Georgie, she is going to be okay."

"She has to be, Logan, she just has to be," she implored tearfully. Logan sat down carefully next to her. Reaching up, he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Georgie turned her head in response, resting her cheek in his palm. "I don't know what I would do without her. She's more than just my sister, she's my best friend. We have been through everything together. She is the only one who understands everything. Maxie has to be okay because I need her to be okay."

"I promise you that we are all going to get out of here alive. Your sister will live to see another fight with me, probably with you stuck in the middle. Like I said earlier, she is a fighter. Just like you, she can get through this."

"But she's out there in the dark without anyone. I have you," she sobbed. Tears were falling freely now, dripping down her round cheeks onto her bare collarbone. "Besides, don't you want to get out of here? You must be worried about Lulu."

A slightly inappropriate thought of licking them off her creamy skin flashed through his mind. "I hadn't thought about her in hours," he admitted. "I want to get out of here, but she never factored into my reason why."

"Why's that?"

"Georgie, can't you tell?" he asked, dropping his hand from her face. He turned around, afraid to meet her gaze. "I want to get out of here because that's the only way I know you'll be safe. I know that doesn't really make any sense, but it's the only thing I have been able to think about. If something happened to you, I don't think I could live with myself."

"You're scared."

"Hell yeah I am," he agreed. "I'm just not sure what I am more terrified about – the struggle going on out there or the one going on inside of me. I shouldn't feel this way, Georgie. I'm supposed to be in love with another girl. My head knows that. But there's this part of me, the part that's here with you, that can't help it. I don't know what it means, I just know that I have to take care of you."

Georgie reached for his hand in the dark. "You're doing that," she promised. She knew that they would eventually have to talk about his confession, but for now, she just wanted to reassure him. "Will you sit here with me? I'm starting to get tired again. If we're not going anywhere for awhile, I might as well get some sleep. I'd feel better if you were holding me again. It's the first time I've felt safe since we got locked in here."

Logan didn't respond as he tucked himself into the sofa behind her. Georgie leaned back against his chest, bringing his hands to wrap around her waist. She threaded their fingers and locked them together, brushing her thumb over his calloused knuckles. "Sweet Potato?"

"Lo?"

"If I was going to be stuck with anyone tonight, I'm sure glad it's you."


	4. Chapter 4

"I wonder what it's going to be like when we get out of here." They were the first words either of them had spoken in fifteen minutes. Georgie's mind had been racing, trying to decipher every little component of the situation. As much as she was trying to convince herself that it was merely a result of a very difficult situation, there was no denying the chemistry that existed between her and Logan. With his shallow breath tickling the back of her neck, she wasn't sure she even wanted to deny it anymore. She had meant what she said earlier. She felt safe in Logan's arms.

Logan could sense the questions racing through her head. He had just as many plaguing him, if not more. He was supposed to be trying to recommit himself to Lulu, but locked in the dark room with Georgie, completely cut off from the world as they knew it, he couldn't imagine it ever being the same again. "I'm not really sure," he admitted quietly. "I just know that we can't go back. I'm not going to be able to pretend that nothing has changed."

"These situations always have a funny way of putting things into perspective," she told him. "There have been too many of them in my life. It seems like there is always something. A few years ago, the Port Charles Hotel burned down, trapping people inside. Then, there was a murder at the Quartermaine mansion, and Lorenzo Alcazar's niece was murdered. I still wonder if she would be alive if I hadn't locked her in that freezer. Everyone has tried to tell me that it's not my fault, but it's something I can't get past."

He had only heard the story once via Lulu. She had tried to fill in the back story for Port Charles' elite teen set, and Sage Alcazar's brief affair with Dillon Quartermaine had been mentioned. At the time, he couldn't imagine Georgie ever being involved in something so dark. She had always seemed too uptight and self-righteous. Now, he understood that she was just trying to protect someone she loved. "Death is a hard thing to justify sometimes. I've seen too many good men die at the hands of darkness. I used to blame myself a lot in the beginning, but eventually, you become numb to it. I think that's the part of the Marines I hated the most. It nearly took away my ability to feel."

"I can't imagine having to kill someone to protect myself," she retorted. "It must be terribly frightening. I admire someone who can give of themselves so freely, so selflessly. I like to think of myself as being brave, but I don't think I could fight a war."

Brief flashes of gun battles and roadside bombs flashed behind Logan's grey blue eyes. "You come to a point where it's either kill or be killed. It's a place I never want to go back to," he confessed. "You're not just fighting for your survival but that of the people around you. They become your brothers, your family. It's inevitable that you're going to lose some of them, if not yourself. My first priority was always to make sure that Coop and I were safe and together. I couldn't imagine having to get through any of it without him."

"If he can forgive you for sleeping with my sister, I have a feeling your friendship can get through anything," Georgie said. She shifted slightly in front of him, trying to forget the fact that he had ever laid his hands, let alone his lips, on Maxie. It was never her style to go after leftovers, or even someone else's man, but something drew her to Logan. There was something bigger at play than conventional attraction. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but she knew that it was there. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong."

Logan let go over hands and ran his fingers over her bare arms. "No, you're right. More than anything, I regret how my actions have hurt Coop. He is my best friend and my family. His forgiveness means everything in the world to me, but he's not the only one who needs to let go of the past. Do you think you might be able to forgive me?"

"Why do I need to forgive you?" she asked immediately. "You didn't cheat on me. That was Lulu. If Coop and Lulu can get past this, it shouldn't matter what anyone else things."

"It doesn't matter what anyone else things, it matters what _you_ think," he corrected her. "I need you to forgive me because I want to know that when we leave here, you're not going to go back to hating me. Some thing has changed since we've been in here, Georgie. Your defenses have finally fallen enough to let me in."

"I'm not the only one who let their guard down," she pointed out. "Look, Logan, I'm starting to feel things that I shouldn't be feeling. The part of me that is loyal to my sister should hate you for what you put her through. The part of me that was cheated on by my ex-husband with your current girlfriend doesn't want to repeat past sins. The part of me that knows who you can be is scared that I'm the next on your emotional hit list. Whatever is going on here, it can't end well for either of us."

Leaning forward, Logan rested his chin on her shoulder. He had been with many women in the past, but this somehow ranked as the most intimate moment of his life. Even with Lulu, he had never been so exposed and raw. With Georgie, he finally felt safe enough to tell the truth. "Don't hide from me now," he implored with a hoarse whisper. "You have no idea how this is going to end. Please don't kill our chance before it even begins."

"Why me?" she asked innocently. "It's clear from your past track record that you don't trust easily, so what makes me any different? We could destroy each other, Logan. You're trying to get your life together. I have all these plans for the future. I don't want you to be my downfall. My dreams are worth more than heartache."

He didn't know how to respond. He wanted to tell her that those dreams didn't have to hurt with pain, that it was possible that they could include him. There was a fierce determination in her voice that only drew him more to her. "Out of everything I have learned during my short stint in Port Charles, the biggest thing I have learned is that I don't want to be like my father," he revealed. "He claims to have loved my mother, but he left her. He ran away at the first sign of trouble, afraid to fight. My mom always told me that you have to fight for anything worth having."

Georgie turned around slightly in his arms and peered up at him with hooded eyes. Her gaze was intent and serious, brimming with unvoiced questions. "You don't have to fight to have me, Logan," she admitted. He could barely hear her over the loud pounding of his heart. "I am not Lulu. I don't need the chase. I hate playing games. You're not saying it, but I know you're talking about me. I give my heart freely without pretense or expectations. Love should be unconditional and unselfish."

"You were listening earlier," he mused. Intrigue danced across his face as she settled back against his body. He'd caught himself looking at her pert mouth, wondering what it would be like to capture her bottom lip with his. "You're not like any girl I've ever known, Sweet Potato. They don't grow 'em like you down in Texas."

"Mac always says that I am a true original," she giggled. She didn't acknowledge as his hands drifted down her arms, across her stomach and around her hips. Georgie felt her breath catch in her throat. It had been far too long since she had been touched like this. She had only ever let two men, Dillon and Diego, explore her body. She felt guilty that slightly lusty thoughts were on her mind given the awful circumstances going on outside their safe haven. However, locked away from the rest of the world, it was becoming easier to forget everything but his hands on her.

"I'm going to have to take you back to Texas some day," he decided. "I know you've been down to visit your mother and great grandmother, but I want you to see my Texas. There is this overlook just a few miles outside my hometown. I swear, you can see millions of stars up there. It's dark, completely devoid of any urban glow. I miss that wide open sky."

"We do have stars here," she reminded him. Georgie peeled herself from his embrace and stood up, offering him her hand. She pulled him across the room toward the window. She began to point out the different constellations, giving him brief back stories on the different star configurations.

Logan listened to her, enjoying the warmth of her voice as she shared the folklores. "Which is your favorite?" he asked, trying to trace the imaginary figures in the sky. He had always simply seen them as glimmering balls of gas lighting his night. Georgie's view was much more romanticized, and right now, he much preferred her mode of thought.

"The Northern Crown," she told him. "You can't see it now because it's only visible in the summer, but it has a beautiful story. There was this beautiful woman named Ariadne who was abandoned by the man she loved. Dionysus looked down on her and fell in love instantly. He married her, giving her a crown encrusted with gems as a wedding gift. When she died, he placed the crown among the stars."

He couldn't help but noticed the symmetry the story could have to her life. Dillon had loved and left her, first for Lulu and then his dreams in California. Now, as he watched over her, Logan was beginning to fall for her. "I guess you'll just have to show it to me next year then."

His reference to the future didn't go unnoticed by Georgie. She looked up at him over her shoulder, a streak of pale moonlight glowing over her face. Logan brushed a strand of hair offer her face before placing his hands on either side of her face. As he started to move in, her eyes fell shut with anticipation. Just as he was about to make a move, an unwelcome knock followed by a desperate plea broke the spell.

"Logan, it's me! Let me in," Scott Baldwin called form outside. Logan grumbled to himself and stalked toward the door, throwing it open. He stepped to the side to let his father inside. Scott stopped to survey the contents of the room, surprised to find Georgie Jones instead of Lulu Spencer. "I've been looking all over for you. I had no idea if you were safe or not."

"Georgie and I were just staying here," he replied. "Cooper went out to look for Maxie, but I didn't want to risk dragging Georgie around in the dark. We just decided to lock ourselves in here until morning came.

Scott watched as Logan positioned himself protectively in front of Georgie, shielding her from anything that could come through the door. Turning around, he slid the lock back over to shut them inside. "I ran into Jason Morgan a few minutes ago. Lulu is locked into the barn with Elizabeth Spencer and that Spinelli kid. Most everyone else is either upstairs in the makeshift operating room with Lansing or down in the parlor."

"Have there been any other instances?" Georgie inquired worriedly. "How's Robin?"

"She is doing fine. Luke Spencer had a heart attack, but Emily has checked on him," he told them. "They found another body, but it wasn't anyone that I knew. Robin and Patrick Drake gave Lansing a transfusion using Sonny Corinthos' blood. Jax took Alexis to shore. I think that the nurse who came with Drake was shot. The details I got were sketchy. I just wanted to make sure my son was okay."

"I'm fine," Logan huffed, earning a sharp jab to his ribs from Georgie. "I'm glad you are, too."

His father nodded once firmly, understanding that the temporary truce was for the Jones' girl benefit only. If he didn't know better, Scott was in the midst of blooming young love. He had had to bribe Lulu to give him another chance, but it didn't look as though Logan was going to even take it. "Well, now that I know where you are and that you're safe, I am going to head back check on Spencer."

"You're going to take care of Luke?" Georgie asked skeptically.

Scott chuckled. "I know. I have no absolutely use for the man, but I would be bored if something happened to him. Tracy fell down the stairs earlier, so if anything happened to either of them, they wouldn't be able to get help."

Georgie chuckled guiltily at the mental image of her former mother-in-law tumbling down a few steps. "Be careful out there."

"I'll be back if anything happens," Scott promised before disappearing out the door.

Logan went across the room and locked it after his father. Turning around, he was surprised to see Georgie just a step behind him. She pressed him back toward the door, pinning him against the wooden surface. Her body caged him in, making him a very willing prisoner. He opened his mouth to say something but her mouth stopped him short. His words were buried with a groan as her tongue darted past his lips. Hands roamed up her back and became lost in her hair. As she pulled back breathlessly, she ran her finger over her swollen lips.

"Well, it's about damn time, Sweet Potato."


	5. Chapter 5

Acting on impulse had never been a trait anyone would use to describe Georgie Jones, but something changed inside of her whenever she was around Logan Hayes. Maybe it was the slow ease of his Texas accent or the mischievous glimmer in his sky blue eyes. Whatever it was, it shot through her body like electricity each and every time he said her name or looked her way. That unadulterated adrenaline is what drove her to pin him against the wall and finally make her attack. After months of craving his kiss and hours of being so damn near it she could taste it, she knew that she had to have it. And as she gazed up at him with wide, expectant eyes, she began to wonder if she should regret it.

"It's about damn time, Sweet Potato."

She searched his eyes for a look of regret or anger, instantly concerned that he was thinking about the other girl in his life. When gaze remained unwaveringly on her, she knew that his heart was nowhere else but in that very room. He wasn't concerned about the fallout of the kiss. Logan looked like he was waiting for the next time. "I can't believe I did that," she replied. Stepping backward, she tried to put some distance between them. She needed space to think, to try to figure out her next step.

He, however, wasn't about to let her dissect the situation to death. Over analysis had a way of ruining a good thing before it even began. Matching her step for step, he cupped the back of her head and drew her into his body. His mouth crashed back against hers, devouring her very breath. Dancing them backward toward the couch, he fell easily onto his back and pulled her down on him. His hands skimmed over the soft skin of her upper back and traveled downward over the gauzy fabric of her gown. She moaned willingly against his lips before common sense kicked in once again. Rolling off him, she leaned back on her heels and stared at him.

"Logan, we can't," she declared softly, afraid that her resolve would break at any moment. It wasn't that she didn't want to be with him. She just didn't want it to be like this. Georgie had been cheated on twice. Even if Lulu had been one of those instances, she couldn't do that to her. She had to know that their relationship was over before she could give that part of herself to him. She had to be sure that this was for real. "You're still with Lulu. I won't be that girl."

Nodding slowly, Logan drew himself to a sitting position. Leaning forward, he cradled his head in his hands and struggled to catch his breath. A few simple kisses had gotten him worked up beyond reason, a reaction he would have never expected from the seemingly chaste Georgie Jones. The passion behind her caresses indicated that she was anything but. "I understand," he managed finally. "I don't like it, but I get it."

"You're not the only one," she muttered. "I don't know what's going to happen when we get out of this room, but I don't want to ruin a relationship that could potentially still matter to you in the morning."

"How I feel about you is not going to change," he promised. "You don't have to believe me, but I can't go back to her. I never thought it was possible to have your entire life change in the matter of a few hours, but tonight, my priorities completely shifted. From the moment you started screaming at me, the only thing I wanted to do was make sure you got through this. My focus turned completely to you. If I was as in love with Lulu as I thought I was, my heart would have been with her."

Georgie was touched by the depth defining his words. For the cocky guy he pretended to be, there was an emotional honesty to him that made him a walking contradiction. Crawling onto the couch next to him, she allowed him to wrap his arm around her. Laying her head on his chest, she closed her eyes and listened to the steady rhythm of his heart. "I really wish I was that girl."

"I'm glad that you're not." He leaned his head on top of hers and allowed her to lace their fingers together. "When we get out of here, I am going to end things with Lulu. She only gave me a second chance because of the bargain she made with Scott. It's about time that I set us both free."

They sat quietly like that for a few minutes, the sounds of a storm outside making the only noise in the dark room. After awhile, a clock sounded somewhere in the distance, its chimes indicating that it was 4 a.m. They had been locked alone in the room for six hours now, such a short time to completely change their lives. "It's getting closer to morning," she told him. "I hope we can just find Maxie and Coop when the sun rises and get out of here. I can't wait to see my dad and fall asleep in my own room." Logan wished that he had the same sense of family and home to go home to. Sensing those emotions hovering over his head, Georgie looked up at him. "Don't worry, I'm not going home without you."

"I'm going to make everything right, Georgie," he vowed. "I will even find a way to get along with Maxie if it means being with you. You and Coop love her, so there must be something redeeming about her. I just don't want to go backwards when everything tells me that you're what will push me forward."

"Well, that's awfully sweet," a sarcastic voice came from behind them. Georgie and Logan whirled around to see a pair standing in the doorway. A wide grin spread across Maxie's face as her eyes met her sister's surprised gaze. The brunette flew from her spot on the couch and ran into her open arms. "God, Georgie, I was so worried about you."

"You were worried about me?" Georgie laughed, squeezing her sister tightly. Logan appeared behind her, reaching up to hug his best friend. "Maxie, I have been worrying about you for hours. What happened?"

"That psychopath grabbed me from the ballroom," she answered. "I managed to get away from him, but then I got lost on the way back. This place is like a maze. Eventually, I gave up and just hid in a room. Coop managed to find me a little bit ago, but we couldn't get back here either." 

The younger sister didn't care where they had been, only that they had finally made it back here. Letting go of Maxie, she moved over to hug Cooper tightly. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear.

Logan looked over at his best friend. "Is there anything going on out there?" he asked. "My father came in awhile ago and filled me in on everything. What did you see?"

"Not much," Coop retorted. "I saw Lucky. He was on the way up to see his father."

"Yeah, that's what Scott said," he replied dismissively. He reached back to lock the door behind them before following the others deeper into the room. Maxie sat down on the couch with Georgie glued to her side. The sisters clung to each other, illustrating once again just how close they were. Sure, they fought like hell, but they also knew that they could depend on each other. Logan sat back down next to Georgie, leaving some distance between them. He wasn't sure what the protocol was around her sister and his best friend.

"I should probably get back out there," Coop announced. "Lucky is out scouring the halls with Jason Morgan and a few others. It's my duty to make sure that everyone is safe."

"You are not going back out there, Coop," Maxie demanded, looking at him sharply. "If you leave this room, I'm just going to go after you."

"And I'm going to go after her," Georgie piped up.

"Like hell you are," Logan informed her. "You are not leaving this room unless it is to leave this house. I'm not about to let anything happen to you."

Maxie squinted at him defiantly. "Since when do you get to tell my sister what to do? Georgie is perfectly able to make up her own mind and if she wants to follow me, she will. Don't think that you're going to be enough to stop her."

"She is not going anywhere without me," he stated evenly. "I've been here with her all night and I intend to be there far beyond tonight. I'm not about to let her get self-destructive now that you've shown up. If you insist on chasing Coop in the dark, there's nothing I can do about it. I just won't let her go running after you."

"You're not going after me either," Cooper said. "Logan's right. We've spent the entire night trying to make sure you girls are safe. Within a few hours, we're all going to be out of here."

"Then, we'll all just stay in here," Georgie decided. "No one is going to go out there looking for anyone. I don't care if you are a cop, Coop. Mac would want you to stay here and watch out for Maxie."

Coop shook his head, knowing that he had been defeated. "When did the two of you become so in sync?" he asked his best friend. Logan offered only a silent shrug in response. He wasn't sure what he was detecting, but there was definitely a vibe between him and Georgie.

"Yeah, did something happen?" Maxie questioned.

"A lot of things have happened," Georgie answered mystically. She didn't feel like delving into every last detail when she hadn't had the chance to fully process everything herself. The only thing she wanted to do was go home and fall asleep in Logan's arms from the warm comfort of her new flannel sheets.

A dark shadow fell over Coop and Maxie's faces. "There's actually something we should have told you when we came back," he confessed slowly. "Luke wasn't the only one in trouble. When we were headed back this way, we also found out that Emily Quartermaine had been strangled downstairs. Apparently, Nikolas found her. Jason and Carly came in right after when they heard him screaming."

Georgie felt all the air rush from her lungs as she exchanged a look with Logan. The blonde man wrapped his arm around her to steady her shaking legs. "Does Lulu know?" she asked, knowing that her sometimes friend would want to know about her sister-in-law. Lulu was connected to Emily in more ways than one.

Maxie nodded. "Jason went back to get Elizabeth. Spinelli was locked in the barn with her and Nadine. He was going to tell Lulu when she came back with Johnny."

"You should go to her," Georgie murmured, turning her eyes to meet Logan's. "She shouldn't be alone right now. She could probably really use your support."

"She has her family," Logan assured her. "I am not leaving you now, especially when I know that there is a psychopath on the loose who likes to favor innocent women. If that lunatic can kill Emily, you're exactly the type of girl he would want to go after. There is absolutely no way that I am going to let you stay here alone."

"She's not alone," Maxie pointed out. "Coop and I can stay here if you want to go check on your little girlfriend."

"Shut up, Maxie," Logan snapped.

The feisty blonde started to protest but Coop steered her across the room away from Logan and Georgie. His best friend could tell that something larger was going on between the two of them, and the last thing either of them needed was another one of Maxie's rants. As much as he loved the girl, he knew that she rarely made things easier.

Once they were alone, Georgie allowed herself to lean into him. "Lo, really, it's okay if you want to go check on Lulu. She's probably terrified right now, and the last thing I want to do is keep her from getting the support that she needs."

"Spinelli and Johnny are both with her. She's going to be so focused on her family that she won't even notice that I'm not there. I told you, I am not going to go chase after her and risk leaving you by yourself."

"I just don't understand how anyone could ever kill Emily," Georgie sobbed, feeling herself starting to break down. "When Dillon and I wanted to get married, she was the only one who was decent to me. I even helped through her a honeymoon when she was in the hospital with cancer. She looked so beautiful tonight, ready to start the beginning of a new life with Nikolas. She didn't deserve this."

"No one did," Logan soothed her, wrapping her even further into his body. Georgie buried her face in his chest, allowing him to stroke her hair freely. She didn't care if Cooper and Maxie could see him comforting her so openly. She just wanted to feel safe again.


	6. Chapter 6

Somber chimes filled the spacious, airy room in the darkest corner of Wyndamere, breaking four people from their individual reveries. Time was passing more slowly now as they waited for dawn to break, praying that the first rays of sun would bring them safety and solace. Gun shots would ring out every now and then, putting the two men on high alert. Two tours of duty in a volatile desert had left them highly reactive to the slightest sign of threat. The two women they had vowed to protect were more slowly to react, having grown up the daughter of two unconventional spies and a courageous police commissioner.

As the clock in the foyer struck five in the morning, Georgie sat next to her sister on the chaise lounge as far away from the door as they could manage. The older blonde was in and out of sleep, the events of the night finally catching up with her tiny frame. As she watched her sister sleep against her shoulder, Georgie worried not for the first time about her health. Everything about the night had been stressful, a condition that was never favorable for someone with a heart problem. Her first instinct was always to protect Maxie, no matter how poorly she had treated her in the past. Whether it was for the memory of her beloved cousin or the liveliness of her rambunctious sister, Georgie needed that heart to endure almost more than anyone.

Across the room, Logan and Cooper sat together, huddled on the couch as they tried to figure out a plan of attack. There was so much more at stake now than had been when they had first arrived at Wyndamere all those hours again. When Logan had first walked through the door, his only priority had been to make sure Lulu got her dance with her father and maybe had some fun. Cooper just wanted to escort Georgie and get through the night without an incident from Maxie. Neither of them had any idea that they would find themselves once again united against evil and fighting to protect an amazing, beautiful pair of sisters.

Maxie began to stir, her arms flailing around her as if she was trying to fight something in the dark. Her body trembled against Georgie's, sending shivers down the younger sibling's spine. "Coop," Maxie mumbled before her voice became more panicked. She still wasn't awake, too wrapped in her nightmare to fully regain consciousness. "Coop!"

The man rushed across the room, falling to his knee to her side. Reaching for her hand, he carefully drew her small body to his and rocked her gently. As she began to come to, he murmured something inaudible to soothe her. Georgie slowly moved away to give them room, not wanting to interfere on a very private moment. Logan stood off to the side, watching as his best friend comforted her sister. As she approached him, she noticed a look of fear for the first time in his eyes.

"Logan," she whispered as she stood next to him. He nodded in return, never dragging his gaze away from Maxie and Cooper. "It's five now. That means that we only have an hour stuck in here. Anything else you want to do while you have me held captive? I could stand to hear another confession or two. You may never get the chance again."

He turned to her quickly, his eyes full of fire. "Don't say that," he ordered softly, firmly. She was taken aback by the forcefulness in his voice. It was oddly unsettling. "I am going to get the chance to tell you everything I can't right now. When we get out of here, Georgie, I intend on telling you a lot of things. Right now, I just want to make sure that your sister is okay enough that I can focus all my attention on you."

"Hey, I was just kidding," she apologized genuinely. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to lighten the mood a little. You're starting to look scared, and that worries me. If someone as brave as you is anxious, I know that something must be wrong."

Logan looked at her guiltily, instantly regretting that he let his face display his emotions at all. He was usually so good at hiding how he felt, but the innocence of the brunette in front of him made him want to confess all his sins. If only he could hold on long enough, he was sure that she could be his redemption. "I made you a promise, Sweet Potato. I'm not about to let you down now."

"Good," she smiled, reaching up to take his much larger hand in hers. He brushed his thumb absently over the smooth skin of her palm. Maxie and Coop were still too busy to pay any attention to either of them. As he brought her body around in front of his, he slipped his arms around her waist and allowed her to relax against him. The intimacy of the moment gave her the courage to speak the thoughts weighing on her mind. "I believe you, Logan. I know that you're going to be the one that saves me."

"I would give my life to make sure that you're okay," he vowed, dropping a light kiss on the crown of her head. Her hair smelled like honey and vanilla, an organic scent that he thought had to be like heaven on earth.

Georgie shook her head. "That's not what I meant," she confessed quietly. She was too afraid to turn back around, so she ran her hands up her body to cover his on her hips. "I built all these walls around me after Dillon. I was so afraid of getting hurt, of caring about someone that much again, that I actively chose not to care at all. You tumbled so suddenly into my life and changed that effortlessly. You are going to save me from myself."

"And see, I thought that I was the one who needed to be saved from himself," he chuckled. She peered at him over her shoulder, her dark eyes dancing with hope. "I'm not good with words like you are, but I want you to know something. Everything that you're feeling, I'm feeling it too."

"You're better with words than you think," she assured him as someone knocked at the door. Reluctantly letting go of her, he led her to a corner of the room out of sight from the door.

He whispered an order for her to stay there before crossing back to open the door. Jason Morgan stood on the other side, his blue eyes the only thing visible in the dark hallway. "Who else is in here?" he asked Logan without paying attention to him. The icy mobster strode into the room and surveyed the surroundings. He could faintly make out Maxie Jones on the couch with Cooper. Georgie was leaning against the wall on the other side of the room. She was a friend of Spinelli's and therefore his first priority; Maxie was a close second. "They have a helicopter on the roof ready to take two people out of here. Georgie and Maxie, you need to come with me."

Georgie rushed forward. "Maxie needs to get to the hospital to be checked out. Cooper should go with her. I can wait here for another helicopter. We've been hidden here all night and no one has managed to find us."

"No way, you are going with your sister," Cooper argued. "She needs you to be there. I am not about to let you risk your life for me."

"Maxie needs you," she said. "Trust me, I've seen her like this before. She is going to need you to be strong for her."

"You are going on that helicopter," Logan informed her.

"No, I'm not," she shot back. "There isn't enough time for us to stand here and argue about this. I am not going to get on that helicopter. Coop, you can either go with my sister to take care of her or Jason can find someone else to go. Either way, I'm not getting on it."

"Dammit, Georgie," Logan muttered as he turned around, clearly frustrated at her stubbornness. "Now isn't the time for this."

"Yes, it is," she said calmly. "Jason, take Maxie and Cooper to the roof. Whenever everyone else who is at risk has been evacuated, come back for Logan and me. We'll be okay in here until then."

Jason admired the young woman's courage. He understood where she was coming from, even if no one else could. He would gladly give up his seat for his own sister or Carly. Their lives were more important to him than his own. "Come on, we don't have much time," he told Cooper. Carefully, he helped lift Maxie from the couch and headed toward the door. "I will be back for you as soon as I can. I'll let Robin know that you're in here and that you're my first priority for further evacuation."

"Thanks," Georgie retorted as she followed them across the room. Before they left, she lunged forward and whispered something into Maxie's ear and kissed her forehead. "Take care of my sister and be safe," she added before locking the door after them. Silence filled the room as their footsteps faded into the distance, leaving an angry Logan alone with a concerned Georgie. "I had to make sure that my sister was okay."

"Why couldn't you be selfish just this once?" he demanded. "Maxie was getting on that helicopter regardless. If you weren't so stubborn, you could have gone with her."

"If I did that, it wouldn't be true to who I am," she replied. "Crises have a way of bringing out the best and the worst in people. I was raised to do what's right, and Maxie is going to need Cooper when she comes to. He is the person she would ask for. For her health, I needed for him to go."

Standing there, listening to her say that she was right in risking her life, Logan knew that he had never met a better soul. Even more than that, she saw something worth loving in him. In less than a second, he had gathered her in his arms and kissed her until she was breathless. "I never knew a good heart could be so damn sexy," he growled in her ear before nipping playfully at the lobe. Georgie giggled softly as her fingers roamed over his scalp. He stopped suddenly and looked up at her. Cupping her face in his hands, he stared into her eyes. "God, you are so beautiful."

She didn't reply for a moment, unsure of what should come next. Taking his hand, she led him over to the couch and pushed him gently onto the plush cushions. Then, unexpectedly, she straddled his laps, her thighs parting to fall on either side of his body. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she drew his face into hers and dragged her tongue over his bottom lip. His hands roamed down her sides until they found their rightful home on her hip bone. She gasped against his mouth, responding to his touch. In turn, he opened his mouth and captured her lips, devouring her very breath with the deep kiss. Georgie turned her head slightly to deepen the moment, which became hotter as his hands fought to find their way under the layers of gauzy tulle. She shivered when his fingertips finally found the warmth of her bare shins. Taking control of the moment, she began to work the row of buttons that prevented his skin from pressing against hers.

"Here," he moaned, leaning back to help her tug off the shirt. Beneath, he wore only a white ribbed undershirt, a thin layer of fabric that would keep things from getting too out of control. Georgie didn't wait for him to say another word before going in for another kiss. After a few more minutes, his hands found the long zipper on the back of her gown.

"Need help with that?" she asked, her voice oozing sexuality. Slowly climbing off his lap, she stood in the beam of light from the window so that he could get a good look at her. Shrugging the gown down her torso, she stepped out of it and let it fall in a puddle to the floor. She stood unashamedly before him in just an ivory satin slip. It had the appearance of a nightgown and was more beautiful than the dress she had worn only moments before.

"We can't," he told her. "Not like this."

"We're not going to," she agreed. "I just want to feel you."

The purity of her request was intoxicating. She crawled back onto his lap and began to explore the soft cotton of his shirt. The outline of his impressive muscles was evident as she traced the lines of his abdomen and pectorals. His hands trailed through her hair and down her back, resting briefly on the gentle slope of her neck. She began to turn her body so that she sat on his lap sideways, drawing her legs closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her instinctively to cradle her. Burying her face in the crook of his neck, he finally felt her let go of herself completely. Even if it was not her intention (or his), he knew now that they belonged. She was his, and he was definitely hers.


	7. Chapter 7

"Look, the sun is coming up."

Georgie dragged her head away from his chest long enough to look out the window behind them. The sky was beginning to change into the palest shade of pink, the sun finally breaking through the dark clouds that had plagued the city all night long. The gunshots had stopped some time ago, and Jason had come back to check on them. They had evacuated nearly everyone else, but Georgie and Logan had remained behind. They were safe now, at least from any real kind of physical threat. Logan had tried to insist that she go ahead when Robin left, but Georgie remained strong in her conviction that they were leaving Spoon Island together.

Logan glanced down at his watch and noted the hour. It was now officially six in the morning, and they had successfully spent their first night together. Georgie had redressed in her gown at some point, the icy chill of the air outside creeping back into their room. His jacket was strewn across their laps as he held her, doing his best to keep her safe, sane and warm. "The next helicopter out, we're leaving," he informed her. She nodded in response, reaching down to lace their fingers together. "Mac is probably going to kill me for not making you leave before now."

"My dad knows that there is no talking to either of his daughters when they make up their minds," she assured him brightly. "As long as he knows that I'm safe, he won't worry too much. Besides with what was going on with Maxie, he'll have more than enough to focus on. I'm sure he knows by now that I'm fine."

"Ah, but he doesn't know that you're with me," he grinned. The police commissioner was going to hate that his youngest daughter was mixed up with an element of the Corinthos organization. "Your dad isn't exactly my biggest fan."

"I wasn't either at one point," she reminded him. "I have since seen the error of my ways. He will too eventually."

He shook his head, unsure of how she could be so certain. A knock finally came on the door and Jason burst back into the room. "Okay, you two, you're getting out of here now," he informed them matter-of-factly. "There is a launch waiting for you at the docks. The storm has cleared enough for you to take a boat. Mac is actually outside waiting for you. They were able to get people on the island to investigate."

Logan and Georgie nodded obediently, slowly rising to gather their things. Logan went out ahead of them, leaving the young woman alone with the mobster for a moment. Uncharacteristically, Georgie stopped and wrapped Jason into a hug. He was slightly uncomfortable at the moment of affection. "I loved your sister very much," she told him. "I am truly sorry for what has happened. The entire city has experienced a great loss."

Jason screwed his face into a smile, touched by the simplicity of her statement. He barely knew Georgie much past her friendship with Spinelli. She had been around his penthouse a few times, always polite and generous. "I know that Emily thought very fondly of you," he replied. "While you were married to Dillon, she told me more than once that you could hold your own with the family. She always respected you."

"The feeling was quite mutual," she assured him before heading out to find Logan. Hand in hand, they ambled down the corridor, following the loud calls of the detectives working the halls. As they came around a corner, Georgie nearly ran smack into Lucky. The detective grinned happily when he spotted her, wrapping her into a hug. "Lucky!"

"You were one of the people we were still looking for," he grinned, clearly relieved. He looked her over and noted the fact that she was still latched firmly to his little sister's boyfriend. "Mac is down in the main foyer. He'll be anxious to see you."

Georgie nodded her thanks before Logan asked the inevitable question. "How's your sister?"

"She got out some time ago. I'm guessing that she headed over to GH to check on my dad. He had another episode just prior to his evacuation. She was pretty shook up when he left. Spinelli and Nadine were on board with her."

"Good," Logan said dismissively before looking over to his brunette companion. "Let's get you out of here, Sweet Potato. I'll be happy to put this nightmare far behind us."

"We all will," Lucky replied before excusing himself to go back to work.

Navigating the maze that was the second story of Wyndamere, Georgie and Logan continued to follow the sounds, happy when the volume indicated that they were drawing near. Just as they came to the top of the landing, Georgie pulled Logan into a room. Without a word, she pushed him back against the closed door and stood on her tip toes in front of him. "Just in case," she murmured before pressing her open mouth to his. Tilting her head to give him access, she clutched desperately to his dress shirt in fear of letting go.

"No need for that," he promised as they pulled apart. "I meant everything that I said tonight, Georgie. I have no intention of leaving us behind."

She wanted desperately to believe him but feared the disappointment that could invariably come. Still, the fierce determination in his eyes told her that he would at least try, and really, that was all she could truly hope for. Letting him slip his hand back into hers, they exited the room and finally made their way down the staircase. As they hit the bottom stare, people began to swirl around them frantically. Logan never let go of her hand, afraid of what would happen if they were separated. She seemed just as scared, gripping his fingers so tightly that it nearly hurt.

"Dad!" he heard her call out next to him. Mac rushed across the tiled entryway to sweep his daughter into hug. She reluctantly let go of Logan's hand for only a moment to embrace her father. A single tear escaped from her brown eyes as she let go. "How's Maxie?"

"Your sister is doing just fine. Coop took her to GH for a checkup, and he called just a few minutes ago. The tests all look fine, so he's going to take her back to the house to wait for us to come home. Robin is going to make sure that everyone is okay at the hospital and then come over to join us. I want to spend time with all my girls tonight."

She smiled softly at her father, the adoration clear in her eyes. Logan recognized the gaze as he had been on the receiving end of one similar that night. "Logan and I are going to head over to the house. I don't want you to worry; he'll make sure that I get there safe. He's been the one to stay with me all night, Dad."

Mac looked at the young man thankfully, reaching out to shake his hand. "Maxie told me that you stayed with my daughter the entire time. I know that we have our difference of opinions on many things, but I want to thank you for taking care of her. You have my deepest gratitude."

"I could never leave her," Logan retorted, taking the moment to steal a glance at her. "I will take her back to your house and stay with her until you're home."

Soon, a uniformed policeman appeared to escort them out to the boat. A few nameless patients took the ride across the harbor with them, but both Georgie and Logan were still to shaken to notice. He sat behind her, his arms wrapped protectively around her body. They were silent in those few minutes, not uttering a word until their feet hit the old wooden planks of the docks. When they were back on dry ground, they stood next to each other and looked back at the island they'd just come from.

"I can't believe it's over," Georgie whispered.

"Come on," Logan prodded, "let's get you home."

The short walk back to the Scorpio home was mostly silent, both of them needing the time to be alone with their own thoughts. When they finally arrived in front of the quaint white house, Georgie smiled radiantly at him. "That's my room," she told him, pointing to a window with soft green curtains. He only nodded in response before she guided him into the house. "Welcome home."

Unlike the cold disconnection of Wyndamere, Georgie's house was cozy and warm. Photos filled the living room, reflecting different stages in both girls' lives. He stopped to examine a shot of Georgie at two or three, her light brown hair shining under the sun as she played in a meadow of flowers. There was another on the piano of her in recent months, smiling cheekily from behind the counter of Kelly's. "This reminds me of my mom's house back in Texas. She loved photographs, too."

"Mac loves to take pictures," she explained. "Why don't you come upstairs with me and get out of that suit? I'm sure that Mac has something that will fit you. I could stand to change clothes my self."

"You just want to sneak a peak," he teased, following her up the staircase to her bedroom. Georgie deposited him into her bedroom before heading toward Mac's room for clothes. Inside her bedroom, Logan began to look at the little touches that made this her home. Her bed was perfectly made with a sage and white striped quilt. Numerous awards lined the shelves of her bookcase, intermittently mixed with framed photographs. There were shots of her family – Mac, Maxie, Robin and a blonde woman he assumed was her mother. She also had a few shots of friends, some that he knew and some that he did not. He recognized Dillon in one of them, there faces pressed together in a photo booth. It was another one, however, that caught his eye.

The shot was of Maxie, Coop, he and Georgie at Kelly's. He wasn't sure when the photo was taken or by who, but he absolutely loved it. This was the closest thing he had to a family portrait now. These were the people that mattered to him. Even if he didn't exactly have love for Maxie, she mattered because she was his best friend's girlfriend and the sister of the woman that he could possibly learn to love. Cooper was his brother and had been since the moment that they met.

"What are you looking at?" she inquired as she came back into the room. She handed him a pair of plaid pajama pants and a white tee shirt. "Sorry, he didn't have a lot of stuff that I thought would be comfortable to sleep in. You have to be exhausted."

"Just a picture of my family," he answered, setting the frame carefully back on the shelf. "Thanks for the clothes, but you don't have to. I could go back to my apartment and get some sleep."

"You're not leaving me now," she insisted. "You can change in the bathroom. I'll be ready for bed when you return." He shook his head at her bossy tone and followed her orders. Georgie stayed alone in her bedroom, quickly discarding the gown in favor of plaid pants and a camisole of her own. Pulling the blankets back on the bed, she smiled when Logan reappeared in her doorway. Jumping on the bed, she grinned up at him. "Come on in."

Logan grinned and crawled onto the mattress next to her. He settled onto the right side of her, turning on his side to face her. She reached up and cupped his face tenderly, unsure how to express how she felt. "It's okay, Sweet Potato," he promised, leaning forward to press his forehead to hers. "We don't have to figure anything out right now."

"How do you do that?" she asked with wonder.

"What?"

"Calm me down," she retorted. "Lo, I couldn't have gotten through this without you."

"I could definitely say the same. Focusing on you kept me from worrying about myself. I couldn't be scared because I knew that I had to be focused and brave for you. You're what brought us out safe on the other end."

"We've talked about this, and I'm sure that we'll be doing it for weeks on end," she yawned. "For right now, I just want you to hold me and let sleep come."

Long after they had stopped talking and sleep had consumed them, Mac returned home for a temporary reprieve from the investigation. Maxie and Cooper were downstairs, sitting wrapped together on the couch, watching endless hours of news reports. He watched them for a moment, smiling at how contented they seemed to finally be back together. Robin was in her old bedroom upstairs, talking to Patrick about everything that had happened. She smiled when she saw her uncle, stopping the conversation only to cling tightly to the man she considered to be her father in more ways than one. As he left them alone to check on his third daughter, he knew that a reunion was imminent for them.

At the end of the hallway, Mac knocked lightly on his youngest girl's door and waited for a reply. When the words failed to come, he pushed it open and peered inside. Lying peacefully in the middle of the bed, Logan Hayes was holding Georgie in his arms. His chin rested on her shoulder, their hands entwined on her abdomen. While his first instinct was to shake them both awake and lecture Georgie on the rules of his home, he knew that she needed this. They would have to have a conversation later, but for now, she deserved a few hours of peaceful silence.


	8. Chapter 8

It was past noon when Georgie rolled over in her bed. She knew that he was gone even before she opened her eyes. The weight that had become so familiar so quickly wasn't pressing against her anymore, leaving an emptiness more vast than anything she'd ever felt before. Slowly dragging herself to sit up, she looked around the room for the smallest sign that he had ever been there, but there was nothing. Not even an imprint from his body was evident on the sheets next to her. There was only the stark white of unoccupied sheets to wrap around her for comfort.

Across the room, Georgie could hear her cell phone beginning to chirp as the messages came in. One of the policemen had explained that the cellular towers had all been jammed during the storm, causing the messages to be backed up for many hours. The phone company was working overtime to make sure that everyone received the texts and voicemails, but it had taken some time before they had made their way to her number. Sliding off the bed, she padded toward her desk to retrieve the phone from the bottom of her black silk clutch.

Pressing the connect button, she listened to the string of voicemails that had filled her inbox. There was a couple from Mac trying to check on her at different times over the course of the night before. His voice was calm in the first couple, becoming much more urgent as the night wore on. He must have been terrified not knowing if the three people he loved most in the world were going to live or die. Georgie had been too wrapped up in herself to even consider what he was going through. She knew now that it would have been hardest on him if anything terrible had happened.

After she had listened to the rest of the messages from friends at school, she started to scroll through her text messages. Most of them had come after they had gotten off the island. Nadine and Spinelli had both tried to contact her, probably wanting to check in on everyone. She made a mental note to call one of them later before pressing on. At the bottom of the list, there were two messages that had her perplexed. One was from Lulu Spencer and the other was from a number unknown.

Opening the message from Lulu, Georgie bit her bottom lip in guilt when she read the words. "I know that you're with him." While some would see the bond forming between her and Logan as a form of payback, that wasn't how she saw it at all. Her mother had always told her that living well is the best revenge, but Georgie had never really been one for manipulation. She hated the thought of hurting anyone like she had been hurt two summers ago, even if it was her former nemesis. She had worked hard to repair her friendship with Lulu in the aftermath of the abortion, trying hard to be there for her when no one else really was. At the time, she had told herself that it was for Dillon, but now, she understood that it was because she wanted to stay her friend.

There was nothing she could say to Lulu that would justify her actions. Even if she had once done it to Georgie, she didn't deserve to go through that sort of pain. Still, she couldn't just forget how she felt about Logan, despite the fact that he had abandoned her without as much as a word. She wasn't sure where the relationship was headed but he had promised her that he didn't want to let go. They would have to be honest with Lulu when the time came. There was no room in Port Charles for any more betrayal and deception. If last night had taught her anything, Georgie knew that it was to put her best life forward. She didn't want to fall in love again, only to have to constantly look over her shoulder for the young Spencer woman.

Closing the text message, she wanted to take time to think about the proper response. Maybe it wasn't her responsibility to even talk to Lulu about it. Logan was the one who had cheated on her by kissing Georgie. If she was someone else, she could just push it all off on him. It was hard to make those kinds of decisions if he hadn't even stuck around. Maybe she was worrying about all this for nothing. He could end up leaving her only to go back to Lulu again. It was a distinct possibility that sleep had brought common sense back into play, causing him to realize that he still belonged with the other girl. It would break her heart into a million pieces, but she had to prepare herself for the chance that she could lose him. After everything they had gone through, he could leave her, too.

Muttering a curse word under her breath, Georgie forced herself to look at the other message. A wrinkle of concern furrowed her brow as she looked at the strange words. It sounded similar to the messages Carly had received in the weeks leading up to the ball, but there didn't seem to be a connection. The three main victims – Leticia, Emily and Carly – all had clear, traceable connections to the Corinthos organization. Georgie's family, on the other hand, was on the right side of the law. Why would they be watching her?

Trembling violently, Georgie sunk to the ground and looked at the screen. "You're next. I'm watching you." Her first instinct was to scream for Logan and let him hold her. Of course, he wasn't there, but her father was. She had always believed that the man could protect her from anything, but the events at Wyndamere had proven that no one is indestructible. If Jason Morgan couldn't protect Emily Quartermaine, what would make her any different? She was a target now, and there was nothing that could ensure that she was safe. More scared than she had even been the night before, Georgie decided to swallow her pride and call the one man she knew could bring her solace.

The phone rang a half dozen times before the voicemail clicked over. Listening to Logan's slow Texan drawl, she became angry at him for putting her in this position. If he had been here when she got the messages, he could have comforted her. She started to leave him an angry message but found that the words would not come. After a few moments, she finally just ended the call and tossed the phone back on the bed. Drawing her knees up to her chin, she started to rock herself back and forth like she used to when she was a child. When Mac was out on a big case and her mother had disappeared to parts unknown on a mission, she would rock herself to sleep any time she got too scared or worried. To this day, it was the only thing she could usually count on to calm her down, but this time, the fear was too immense.

She felt the first tears welling in her big brown eyes, trying her hardest to keep them at bay. When the floodgates proved to be too weak for her overwhelming emotions, she began to sob softly. Soon, her cries had turned to a low howl, the very sound that had drawn Logan back into her room. Rushing across her bedroom, he dropped to the floor at the foot of her bed and pulled her into his lap. Wrapping his arms around her back, he began to rock her gently until her weeping had subsided. Once she had finally regained her composure, Georgie began to fight and punch Logan in fits of anger.

"It's okay, Georgie, let it out," he prodded her softly, easily taking anything she threw his way. He wasn't sure what was going on with her, but he was determined to see it through. It was clear that she was angry at him.

Realizing that her pitiful attempts at inflicting pain were failing miserably, Georgie slunk back away from him. Turning her head, she sniffled weakly. "I woke up and you weren't here," she whispered. "You left me even when you said you wouldn't. Something happened, and I needed you."

"I was just downstairs," he retorted, pointing his hand toward the door. "I promised you that I wouldn't leave you. When I woke up, you were still asleep. I just wanted to go downstairs and check on your sister and Coop. I was on my way back upstairs when I heard you crying."

Covering her eyes sheepishly, she couldn't believe that she had reacted so childishly. Looking blankly at the carpet in front of her, she began to play with a loose piece of yarn. "I'm sorry," she apologized feebly. "I was just scared."

"What happened, Sweet Potato?" he asked tenderly, reaching out to grab the hand that was unraveling the rug beside her. His touch brought her eyes back to his. "You need to tell me what happened so that we can figure out a way to deal with it together."

Reaching up on the bed, she retrieved her phone and handed it to Logan. "I got a message from the killer. I'm being watched and whoever killed the others wants to make sure that I'm the next one to go."

Logan looked at the threat on the screen, his body immediately shaking with fear. Slamming it shut, he threw it across the room, causing the outer plastic shell to shatter. Georgie flinched noticeably in response, recoiling away from him. "Don't be scared of me," he implored. "I just thought that this was all over last night. Now, it looks like they still want to settle the score."

"I don't understand why they are after me. How could I be connected?"

"Me," Logan answered angrily, hanging his head in remorse. "I'm connected to this through my position in Sonny's organization. They're starting to attack anyone and everyone with any kind of relationship with the Corinthos family. Whoever is sending these messages knows that we were together last night and has decided to come after you."

"Well, apparently they're not the only ones," Georgie sighed. "I also got a message from Lulu. She knows that you were with me. I don't think she's very happy about that either."

He shrugged dismissively. "I don't care how Lulu feels right now. My first priority is making sure that you're safe, and I'm not so sure that's the case anymore. We need to tell your dad what happened."

"No way," Georgie insisted. "He'll only tell me to stay away from you and get overprotective. I don't want to tell Mac until I know what we're dealing with. He doesn't need to know until there is something to tell."

"We have to tell someone."

"We'll tell Jason," she declared. "We can give him my phone so that he can have Spinelli run a check. Maybe they can find some kind of consistency between the messages I got and the ones sent to Carly. If nothing else, he'll know if I should tell my dad."

"You can't let me be a factor in this choice. Your safety is the most important thing, Georgie. What good is it going to do us if you're at risk? I can't stand the thought that my job could put you in this position. Maybe I shouldn't even be around you."

Georgie leaned forward and pressed her mouth over his. "You made me a promise, Hayes, and I intend on making you see it through," she threatened softly. "I need you right now even more than I did last night. You vowed to protect me, so I need you to stay. I'm not scared right now because I know I have you by my side. If you leave, I will be absolutely terrified."

He could tell that her words were filled with honesty. If anything happened to the gorgeous brunette, Logan knew that it would devastate him. The only way he could ensure that she stayed safe and alive was to stay. He cared about her entirely too much to do anything else. "You have me," he promised, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She pressed her forehead to his and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands traveled down her back and beneath the hem of her shirt, finding a warm home on her waist. "I'm going to talk to Sonny and have him put guards on you. I know that you're not going to like it, but we have to find some sort of compromise. Anyone connected to this life is at risk. You are a target now."


	9. Chapter 9

Eventually, Logan had been able to calm Georgie enough to get her to fall back asleep. He had sat with her for nearly a half-hour after she'd given into the slumber, watching as she dreamed peacefully. Every time the slightest smile played across her ripe lips, he prayed that she was dreaming of him. Finally, after convincing himself that she would be safe at the Scorpio house for a little while, he locked her windows and headed back downstairs.

Coop and Maxie were still on the couch, the blonde asleep in his best friend's lap. Glancing at Coop, he nodded toward the door to indicate that he needed to talk to him. As they slipped outside, Logan could hear Robin and Patrick laughing from somewhere upstairs. There were definitely enough people in the house to ensure that Georgie was going to be safe. He just needed to run a quick errand and then he would return, hopefully before she was even awake.

"Sorry to interrupt," Logan apologized. "I have something I need to tell you, and it's not good news. Georgie got a message a little while ago from the killer. He is threatening to go after her next. She begged me not to tell Mac. Even though I want to, I am going to respect her wishes for now. I have to run over to Jason's to drop off her cell phone. Spinelli has been working on the texts that Carly got so maybe he can figure out some kind of connection. Can you stay here with the girls until I get back?"

"Mac gave me the rest of the day off to spend with Maxie. After last night, I think he was afraid to have to tell his daughter that he was making me go back to work," Cooper replied. "I'll stay here with Georgie and Maxie until you get back. But just so you know, I really think that you need to tell Mac. He would have the neighborhood patrolled constantly to make sure she's okay."

Logan shook his head sadly. "It's not going to be enough. Sonny's has turned Carly's house into a fortress, but the killer still managed to get inside her cottage and strangle Leticia. If Georgie and I are going to be together, she is going to be at risk. Anyone connected to the Corinthos organization is a target. I'm going to talk to Sonny about putting guards on her but even that's not a guarantee."

Reaching out, Coop clapped his best friend on the shoulder. "You can't put her at risk, Logan. If you care about Georgie, and I think that you do, you really need to reconsider your choice. This could end up killing her."

"If I thought staying away from her would keep her safe, I would do it in an instant. I just think it's too late for that now. Whoever is terrorizing these women already knows that we're connected. This psychopath is willing to use anyone and anything to get to Sonny. The young, innocent daughter of the police commissioner seems to be the perfect thing."

Coop watched forlorn as Logan made his hasty exit, jogging toward the black SUV parked next to the curb. Within seconds, the loud vehicle was zooming away from the Scorpio household and toward Harborview Towers. He almost hated that he knew Logan's secret because now it was something he had to keep from Maxie. Georgie had asked very few things of him, but for some reason, she wanted to keep this low key. He vowed to himself to keep it a secret only until the situation posed any kind of definite threat. At the first sign of danger, he would tell Mac and the police.

Two miles away, Logan scanned his passkey and pulled into the private garage outside Jason's penthouse. His eyes darted around the empty parking lot as he jumped from the car, very aware of his surroundings. Guards were posted outside the private elevator that led to the top floor. Nodding at them with recognition, he was quickly let inside the lift and headed toward the penthouse. When he reached the top level, he grimaced at Milo as he tried to get inside. "I need to talk to Jason."

"If this is about Lulu, you don't have to worry about her," the bodyguard said hotly. "She moved out this morning as soon as she got off the island. She said that with everything that is going on with her family, she just wanted to be near them."

"This isn't about her," Logan assured him before knocking on the door. He wasn't surprised when Spinelli answered the door, his chin already stuck out defiantly. "Look, I know that you're not going to want to see me either, but I need to talk to Jason. Is he home?"

"Stone Cold is inside working on a private matter. His sister was killed last night, in case you hadn't heard. And I'm sure that he would not want to see the so-called man who broke our fair Lulu's heart."

"Spinelli, it's about Georgie."

Jason appeared over Spinelli's shoulder and looked at Logan. "Spinelli, let him in," Jason ordered evenly, his voice as chilly as ever. Turning on his heel, he strode back to the couch and sat down.

Spinelli followed his mentor and chose the seat at the other end of the couch. "What is wrong with the Faithful Friend?" he asked worriedly. "More importantly, why are you coming to Jason about her? She doesn't even like you."

"Some things change," Logan muttered before regarding the other man. Holding out Georgie's cell phone, he handed it over to Jason silently. "Georgie got a text message earlier this morning. Apparently, whoever went after Carly and Leticia has set their sights on her. The message said that she was being watched and that she was next. She was pretty shaken up."

"Why would anyone want to hurt the Faithful Friend?" Spinelli thought aloud. "She's so kind and generous. She wouldn't hurt anyone. I don't understand why they are going after her. She is connected to anyone…"

"She's connected to me," Logan confessed. "Georgie and I, we kind of…a lot happened last night. This guy is watching her and knows that we've spent time together. Now, he's threatening to go after her, and I will not let that happen. I brought her cell phone over here to see if Spinelli could trace the messages. I thought that maybe we could find some sort of connection to the texts that Carly got. It's a long shot, but I don't really know what else to do."

Jason didn't say anything as he handed the phone over to Spinelli. Then, pulling his own phone from the pocket of his faded jeans, he automatically placed a call. Logan heard him rattle off a description of Georgie as well as her address. After he had hung up, he looked at Logan and nodded. "She will have two guards tailing her at all times. Does Mac know any of this?"

"Georgie begged me not to tell him. I agreed for the time being," Logan started to explain as his cell phone began to ring. He knew as soon as he heard it that it was about Georgie. "Hey."

"It's me," Maxie told him. "Georgie had a nightmare. When she woke up and realized that you weren't there, she started freaking out. Robin and Coop are in there trying to calm her down, but the only person she seems to want is you. You have to get back to the house now."

Logan sighed wearily, frustrated with himself that he had left her alone for even a few minutes. "I'm on my way," he promised before hanging up. "I have to get back to Georgie. She isn't doing too well right now."

Jason thought for a moment. "I am going to put added security on your apartment. Since Sonny and I own the building, we control everything that goes on inside there. I know that it's going to be a shot in the dark, but Georgie might actually be safer there. You might want to consider having her stay there with you until things calm down. You'll both have guards and I can have Stan's team keep an eye on things at all times. It could be your best bet."

"I'll talk to her and get back to you," Logan retorted just as he left.

He must have made it across Port Charles in record time because within ten minutes, he was running up the sidewalk and inside. Cries could be heard as he made his way up the staircase and down the hallway toward her room. Patrick was posted in the doorway, leaning casually against the jamb as he watched on with concern. Maxie stood next to him, white as a ghost as she listened to her sister falling apart. Looking past them, he could see Robin cradling Georgie while Cooper held her hand.

"Georgie, I'm here," he called as he came into the room, dropping immediately beside her. Her dark eyes were filled with tears as she struggled to focus on him. Carefully, he managed to maneuver her body from Robin's arms and into his lap. Holding her tightly against his body so that her face was buried in the crook of his neck, he slowly began to rock her. "Oh, Sweet Potato, I'm so sorry that I left."

Robin stood up and walked to Patrick, clearly confused by the scene that was playing out in front of her. As he wrapped his arms around her slim waist, she tried to make sense of everything. Gone was the cocky Texan that had tormented the Jones sisters from the very first day in the city. Instead, a gentle man determined to calm Georgie's fears sat before him. "I just don't understand," she muttered beneath her breath.

Coop joined them, putting his arm around his own girlfriend. "I don't know when it happened, but Logan cares about her. There are very few people that will ever get to see this side, but when he chooses to care, he will give that person all of him. Right now, Georgie and Logan need each other."

Logan didn't even look up as the other four people left, leaving him alone with Georgie. He was too focused on getting her to stop crying enough to simply breathe. "I had to go see Jason. I told Cooper to stay with you, but you must have had a nightmare before he could explain."

"I could feel his hands around my throat," she sobbed. "I woke up screaming for you, but you weren't there. Before I could really figure out what was going on, I thought that maybe he got you. I was so scared that something happened to you."

"I'm right here. I'll be fine as soon as I know that you're okay," he proclaimed, kissing the top of her head. "I just wanted to take your phone to have Spinelli start working right away. I also needed to see about getting you a few guards. Everything has been arranged."

Georgie hated that this was what her life had become. She had always prided herself on being brave, but one empty threat had turned her into a sobbing hypochondriac. "I'm sorry that I overreacted."

"You were scared. I shouldn't have left."

"You were just trying to take care of me," she pointed out. "I need to figure out a way to be strong enough to handle this. I can't turn into a mess every time I get freaked out or anxious. There are going to be times when you can't come right away, so I need to get it under control. Reacting like this and having these mini-breakdowns is only going to make everyone suspicious. If I don't watch it, my dad is going to put me in Shadybrook or at least make me talk to Lainey."

"That actually might not be such a bad idea," he told her pointedly. "Until then, I have sort of a proposition for you. I'll understand if you don't want to, but Jason suggested that you might be safer if you stayed with me. They own the building that I live in, so they can keep pretty tight reigns on the security. Besides your regular guards and me, there will be an entire team of people watching the apartment."

"Mac is going to hate it."

Logan chuckled lightly in acknowledgement. "Well, yeah, I can't say…" he trailed off. "Wait, did you say he _is_ going to hate it? You're agreeing that easily?"

"If you think it's the best thing for us, then I'll do whatever I need. I'm scared for my life right now, Logan, but I'm also scared of losing you. If we're together, at least I'll know that we're watching out for each other. I might not be much, but I'm sort of all you have."

"You're more than enough," he promised, "and I thank God for that."


	10. Chapter 10

Maxie sat on the bed, watching as Georgie folded the last of her shirts into the bright pink suitcase. She had grown up with her sister, the one person that she could count on to always be there. Now, she was watching her leave her family's home, and part of her knew that she wasn't going to ever come back. As the brunette dragged the zipper closed on the overstuffed bag, Maxie felt tears starting to well in her baby blue eyes. She knew it was stupid to feel so emotional over her forced departure, but things were bound to change. "If Logan doesn't take care of you, I will kick his ass," she vowed bravely, biting her bottom lip to keep from crying. "I don't care what you say. He's still not good enough for you."

"Don't," Georgie warned wearily. Running her fingers absently through her ponytail, she scanned the room to see if she had left anything behind. She was tired from the all night talk Mac had forced her into when they had revealed their big plans. Logan had sat bravely by her side the entire time, answering question after question without giving her father any true insight into why she was leaving. It had been hard to lie to her father, something she had sworn she would never due after Dillon. However, with the support of the man she was growing to love, she swallowed her guilt and reassured herself that this was the best thing. She was just trying to protect her family while saving her own life. "I know you're scared that he will hurt me, but Logan is going to take care of me. You don't have to like him, but I hope that you'll at least support me. It's not like you're never going to see me again. It's just time that I grow up."

The blonde crossed her arms over her body protectively, feeling only slightly childish. No one, not even Dillon, had ever managed to take Georgie away from her, but now, she felt like she was losing her best friend. It was hard to imagine not being the most important person in her sister's life. She hated that she was jealous of the cocky Texan that her boyfriend somehow managed to call his best friend. Watching them together, she couldn't help but be. He looked at Georgie in a way that no man had ever looked at Maxie. She couldn't help but feel like her baby sister had finally the man that was going to make all of this real. "I'll do whatever you need," she promised before standing up to face Georgie. Wrapping her in a tight hug, she allowed herself to be comforted in the familiar warmth of her sister's embrace. "Logan is downstairs waiting. I guess you need to go."

Georgie smiled brightly, repeatedly telling herself not to falter. Someday she would be able to explain to her sister why she had to go, but for now, it was better to be tight lipped. Kissing her cheek chastely, she followed Maxie out of the room and down the stairs to the living room. Logan was sitting on the couch, listening to yet another lecture from Mac. As she sat her suitcase on the wooden floor with a notable bang, both men drew their eyes toward her. "I'm all packed," she told them. Pacing the length of the living room, she stopped short of her father and gazed down at him. "I know that this isn't what you want for me, but it's what I want for myself. I hope you can understand that and forgive me."

Mac stood up, his lips pursed in quiet disbelief. He had always expected that it would be Maxie to come up a rash decision to leave. Now, as his youngest daughter waited for him to say goodbye, he could feel his heart beginning to break. "I love you, and nothing will ever change that," he promised her. Georgie smiled the same smile she had always thrown his way, the cute grin that had made him fall in love with her when she was only two or three. Turning to Logan, he looked straight into the young man's eyes to let him know that he meant business. "If you hurt her, if you so as much disappoint her," Mac threatened, "I will find a way to make you pay. I will do anything to…"

"What? Protect her?" Logan asked evenly. His voice was soft but strong, meeting Mac's every demand head on. "So will I."

"That's enough," Georgie announced softly beside him. Stepping away from her father, she slipped her hand into Logan's and pulled him toward the door. One more minute in that living room and she knew that the story would come pouring out. Dragging the suitcase behind them, she didn't allow herself the luxury to look back. She just had to get out of there. She kept moving forward and didn't stop until she was safely in the passenger seat of Logan's black SUV. Jason had given him the new armored vehicle along with their new security team. Hiding behind the darkly tinted window, she finally allowed herself to look up at the house she had always called home. "Let's leave."

Logan turned to her from behind the steering wheel and shook his head vehemently. "I'm not leaving until I'm sure you're okay," he retorted. Reaching across the console, he took his hand in hers and brushed his thumb over her knuckles tenderly.

"I thought that this is what that was all about," she shot back, turning her head to avoid his probing stare. "Please, Lo, don't make this any harder than it needs to be. I just want to go back to your apartment and pretend that this isn't happening to me."

"It's happening to us. We are going through this together. Everything is moving so fast right now, and the only thing that is keeping me sane is knowing that I have you with me. I am lying to everyone that I love to keep you safe, but that's not the part that even bothers me. I'm scared that someday you're going to look back and regret your choice. I don't want you to blame me, or worse yourself. Before we leave, you need to be sure."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she realized. Her voice was genuinely despondent at the thought of hurting him so deeply. "This is more than what I want, it's what I need. I know that I've been selfish, only thinking about how this affects my life. I didn't even think what it would do to you. I know that you don't want to lie and that you're only doing it for me. I could never regret my choice because I wouldn't want you to."

Reaching up to cup her chin, Logan manually shook her head no. "I care about you. I would never regret doing something for the woman who makes me feel this way," he vowed. "Now, we can leave."

The drive across Port Charles was quiet and comfortable. Georgie watched the familiar streets pass her by, wondering if the man threatening her was lurking around the corner. The faceless threat of strangulation terrified her beyond words, but she had to be brave. When he pulled the dark car into the private parking garage and killed the motor, she waited patiently while he got out to escort her in. A pair of guards soon appeared to carry in her luggage, never making eye contact or breaking a smile. Riding the elevator up to the sixth floor unit, she felt at disease to share the lift with people she didn't know. She appreciated the fact that Jason wanted to protect her, but it was still uncomfortable at best. That entire disillusion faded instantly when she stepped out of the door and looked up at Logan's front door. She was home.

Logan busied himself over the next few minutes, showing her around an apartment that she had already seen. He ushered her through the kitchen, pointing out where he kept different things. Through the living and the bathroom, he rambled endlessly about minute details, clearly feeling awkward about having another woman live there with him. Lulu had shared the apartment with him for a few weeks, but even then, he had known that it was only temporary. With Georgie, he knew that this was something a little more permanent. _A lot more permanent._ When he finally brought her into the bedroom, he was starting to feel relieved. They were at home.

"I cleared out the top half of the dresser," he explained, pulling open an empty drawer for her to see. "I also emptied two shelves and a rack in the closet. There are a couple of bare shelves in the bathroom for your things. You didn't really bring much, but I still hope it's enough space."

Letting her handbag drop in the middle of his unmade bed, Georgie surveyed the bare room. It needed a definite woman's touch to feel more lived in, but she saw the potentials of a great beginning. She wasn't sure if the beginning was for a new home or a new life, but either way, she was determined to find out. "Thank you for opening your home to me," she murmured as she moved into his arms.

"That's not all I have," he grinned, pulling back after pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Holding her hand, he pulled a cobalt blue gift bag from the top of his bureau. Georgie's face lit up as she pulled away the white tissue paper to look at the contents inside "I get up impossibly early some mornings to make coffee. I know you don't drink it, so I got this for your tea," he explained as he handed her a bright red mug. "When I was a kid, my mom didn't really have a lot of money, but she insisted that I take care of my teeth. She saved up for a month to buy me the electric toothbrush in there. I've had it for ten years, but it still works like new. I bought you this pink brush head so I could help take care of your teeth."

"And what's this for?" Georgie asked, pulling the last item, an engraved sterling silver key ring, from the sack. She traced her fingers over the careful script, reading it aloud. "Sweet Potato."

"I was trying to come up with these profound words to express how I felt, but I kept coming back to your nickname. They were the only ones that really seemed to fit," he grinned. "I let you into my heart and now I'm letting you into my home. I guess you kind of figured it out, but that's for your keys."

"Thank you," she smiled back, threading her arms behind his neck. Standing on her tip toes, she looked intently into his eyes before covering his mouth with hers. His tongue parted her willing lips as she cupped his neck to bring him closer to her. "I just have one question left."

"Which is?"

"Well, there's only one bed."

"Oh," he realized aloud, clapping his hand to his forehead. "I can sleep on the couch. I don't want you to think I assumed anything."

"What if I wanted you to assume?"

Just as he was about to answer, Logan's doorbell rang from the living room. Thankful for the temporary reprieve, he headed out of the room instantly. The shrill sound broke the moment undoubtedly charged with electricity. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Georgie, he just didn't want to happen so easily. He'd fallen into bed with girls in the past, but other than Lulu, none of them really seemed to matter five minutes later. Time and patience is what they needed.

When he pulled the door open, Logan was surprised to see only an envelope sitting on the floor. Georgie appeared over his shoulder, looking confused. "Who's it from?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, tearing open the flap. His hands began to tremble as he read the erratic scrawl on the page. The interesting take on the old cliché chilled him to the bone.

_You can hide, but you can't run_.


	11. Chapter 11

It had taken quite a bit of coaxing, but eventually, Logan had been able to lure Georgie to sleep. She had refused to leave his side, afraid what would happen if either of them were left alone. As long as they were together, she accepted whatever fate lay ahead for them. It was the thought of being separated that scared her the most right now. So, as a compromise to his endless request for her to finally get some rest, they had sat on the couch, her head resting in his lap. Now, as he stroked her chestnut tendrils and stared at the blank television screen, he prayed that he had made the right decision.

He heard a soft knock on the door outside and knew immediately who it was. Shifting slightly to deposit Georgie safely back against the sofa, Logan grabbed the envelope and headed to answer it. Jason was leaning against the wall outside in his signature black leather coat, waiting impatiently. With a glance over his shoulder, Logan let himself into the hallway and closed the door quietly behind him. Handing over the piece of paper silently, he waited for his companion to register the impending threat.

"When did you get this?" Jason asked, scanning the letter again. At first, the mobster had only become involved in Georgie's threat as a sense of obligation. Not only did he want to know what happened to his sister, he needed to make sure that the threat wasn't somehow connected to the organization. Carly had been attacked the night of the ball, and his first priority was making sure that it didn't happen again. However, after Logan had come to him and Jason had seen firsthand how terrified the young woman was, he had slipped easily into protective mode. Georgie hadn't done anything to deserve this, much like Emily. She was caught in the middle due circumstances that she hadn't chosen for herself. Between that and her friendship with Spinelli, he was set on making sure that she was safe and alive.

Logan peaked at his watch and did the mental math, trying to figure out how long ago the letter had appeared outside his apartment. "Probably three hours ago," he answered. "I would have called earlier, but Georgie was really upset. I wanted to wait until she was asleep before I told you. We had just gotten back from Mac's to move her into the apartment. Someone knocked on the door and left it outside."

Holding up a hand to stop him, Jason pulled out his cell phone. "Who was supposed to be on the Hayes place?" he barked angrily into the mouthpiece. Without even waiting for answer, he quickly rattled off a list of demands. "Well, he wasn't doing his job, and someone left a note for Georgie. He's off that detail. I will deal with him when I get back to the warehouse. For the time being, I want the best team on the apartment. If Georgie leaves, she has double security with her at all times. Between our guys and the police, she should be almost over protected. If anything like this happens again, you will pay."

After he had hung up and tucked the phone away, Jason regarded the young man who was beginning to learn the ropes of the organization. While he would not have picked him personally, he was coming to understand that Logan was good at his job. "I don't want you working until we have this taken care of," he ordered. "Georgie needs to have people with her all the time. It's clear that she is at risk. Unless Sonny or I tell you specifically, consider it your job to make sure that she is okay."

He was thankful that he wasn't going to have to leave Georgie. Logan had worried what it would be like for her the first few days living here, especially knowing that she had to trust a team of guards she didn't know. "I understand," he retorted obediently.

"Good," Jason replied coldly. "I am going to take this over to Sonny's. I'll have one of our guys to get on analyzing the handwriting right away. Keep Georgie here until the morning and do not leave unless you are in an armored car. Make sure that she knows that she can't ditch the guards. They'll keep their distance, but she needs to stay with them. If she is going to go anywhere other than school, work, the hospital or Mac's, someone needs to check in with me. I know that it's not fair, but we need to have people in place."

Without as much as a curt nod, Jason was gone as quickly as he had come. Heading back into the apartment, Logan wasn't at all surprised to see Georgie awake. She was curled up in a ball, pouring over the contents of a familiar leather album. He smiled softly to himself as he sauntered over to join her, falling easily onto the couch next to her. "I guess you found my secret," he professed as they stared at the pictures together. Fingering the corner of a photograph, she looked up at him questioningly. "That's my mother a year before she died. I saved money for four months to buy her that dress for her birthday."

"She was beautiful," Georgie mused as she stared down at the cheerful blonde on the page. With eyes that reminded her so much of Logan's, she could tell how kind she had been from a simple snapshot. "Tell me about her."

Leaning back against the plush cushions, Logan closed his eyes and tried to conjure the image of his mother in his head. He could still see her on that day, how happy she had been to see the blue flowered dress from the finest department store in town. "Until I met Coop, my mom was the only person who I ever let truly love me. She was my whole family and my entire sense of being. The strongest woman I had ever met, she gave everything so that I could have anything. Everything that I do is to make her proud. I miss her every single day."

Georgie could sympathize with him, and her parents were still very much alive. Mac had been her sense of consistency, the one true thing she could always count on. "I wish I could have known her."

"Me too," he agreed, pressing a gentle kiss on her temple. "I can count the number people who I have ever been able to trust on one hand. My mom, Coop and now you – that's only three. I guess they're the same people who have loved me."

Ghosting her hand up the back of his neck, Georgie pulled his mouth to hers. She just needed to feel contact with the intimate and vulnerable version of Logan he was willingly giving to her then. "Lo, I am going to love you no matter what, and you know that Coop is going to stick by your side. We can't get your mom back, but you still have a chance at a family. I know you're not going to like it, but what if you tried to make things work with Scott? You have two little sisters that you haven't even met. Isn't it worth it to try having them in your life?"

"I don't need them. I have you," he pointed out. "Scott never cared about me before I came to Port Charles. He left my mom all alone without ever looking back. She deserved better that that."

"So did you," she assured him tenderly. "I didn't know your mom, but I don't think that she would want you to be alone. I think she would want you to know your sisters, even if you don't want to know your father. You can be angry at me for suggesting it if you want, but would you at least think about it?"

Logan thought about the small photos Scott had showed him of Serena and Christina. Like him, they hadn't had any choice in what had happened to them. "I'll think about it," he agreed. "Even when I'm supposed to be protecting you, you're worried about taking care of me."

"If I'm focused on you, I don't have time to be scared. Keeping busy is the only thing that is going to get me through this," she tried to explain. "Between working at Kelly's, volunteering at General Hospital and going to class, I barely have time to breathe. Maybe it will be enough to keep my mind off everything else."

"Oh, I'm more than enough to keep you occupied," he boasted hotly.

"It's nice to know that even after everything that has happened, you're still the same cocky Logan Hayes that thinks he's irresistible. You think I want you so badly, but it's clear that you're the one who wants me."

"I knew you were a brilliant girl, Sweet Potato," he teased. "Honestly, I'm just happy to have you here with me."

Across town, Jason nodded to Milo as he entered Sonny's office at the coffee shop. His best friend was speaking Spanish, the tone dark and angry. Jason could translate a word here and there, just enough to understand that they were talking about some kind of threat in Puerto Rico. Things were quickly spinning out of control, sending problems from all sides. Mob wars had a tendency to stir up courage amongst the weaker families. They foolishly believed that the Corinthos organization would be too busy to catch the little things. However, what they didn't know was that Jason was at his best in the midst of chaos. Calm and collected when anyone else would panic, he could always see clearly through the haze to get the job done.

Once Sonny had hung up the phone, Jason dropped the letter in the middle of the desk. Sonny's dark eyes widened at the threat. "Georgie Jones was sent another message, this time at Hayes' apartment," Jason explained. "I've already taken care of the guy who was supposed to be watching the door. I doubled security on her and ordered Logan to stay with her at all times."

"When did she get it?"

"A few hours ago," Jason answered. "Why?"

"Carly got the same letter." The single sentence sent chills down Jason's spine. His worst fear was anything happening to his best friend, especially after he had lost Emily. He couldn't imagine having to avenge her death on top of everything. The boys would be lost, and it would likely destroy Sonny. Jason didn't even want to think about how it would impact him personally. "Jax is out of town again. Carly is furious, but right now, she is too worried about the boys to do anything stupid. Max is going to personally take care of her along with her usual team."

Jason hit his fist against the desk. "No way," he stated boldly, indicating that he wasn't going to fight with Sonny on the subject. "Carly and the boys are too important. I am going to stay with them myself. I'd trust Max with anyone but her. I'll move into the house until Jax gets back."

"She won't do it. I tried to get her to move in with me, but she kept saying how Jax wouldn't like it or something," Sonny countered.

"I'm different," Jason informed him without any further explanation. "I'll head over there after we're done here. Spinelli and I can stay with her until Jax gets back or we figure this out. In the mean time, Carly is going to have to learn to deal with this. We have to figure this out, Sonny. The lives of two women are at stake. We don't have room for error."

"I'm at a loss, Jase," Sonny admitted. He hated that he was losing control so quickly, especially to a faceless coward threatening women. Leticia and Emily had already lost their lives, and now attempts had been made against Carly and Georgie. The pattern was erratic but definite. His choices were coming back to haunt him, threatening to destroy the life he had worked so hard to built. However, the one thing that he couldn't see, the thing that drove Jason, was how it would likely destroy the lives of the innocent. With just one false step, Logan and Jason would both lose the women they loved most in the world.


	12. Chapter 12

Late the next morning, Georgie strode into Kelly's, grumbling at herself for being late. She was never late, but these weren't exactly ordinary circumstances. As she slid her time card through the clock, she tried to ignore the two burly men posted at the diner's front door. They were doing their best to be inconspicuously present, but every time she looked over her shoulder, there they were. Logan had tried to insist that he come into work with her for at least the first few hours of her shift, but a last minute phone call from Jason had steered him to the warehouse. While she was glad that he cared about her so much, she was quickly finding it harder and harder to have a minute alone. For the next few hours, she just wanted to work and pretend that she was like any other waitress in Port Charles.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized to Mike as she came out of the kitchen, order pad in hand. Logan had made her promise to keep her cell phone near at all times, so it was hidden securely in the standard black apron tied around her waist. The older man nodded at her understandingly before pointing to a pair of waiting customers at a corner table. Georgie glanced over to see Spinelli sitting with a familiar blonde, pouring over his laptop. Crossing the dining room, she paused beside their table. "Good morning, you guys. What can I get you?"

Lulu looked up at Georgie thoughtfully, trying to figure out how to address her former advisory. Over the past two years, the two girls had gone from being spiteful enemies to co-workers with an understanding. Georgie had helped Lulu through a very difficult time in the aftermath of her abortion, a notably difficult feat in the wake of her own divorce. This time, it was Georgie who had stolen someone from Lulu, and the irony was not lost on the young Spencer. Maybe Logan hadn't really been hers to lose, and if she was truly honest with herself, Lulu knew that her heart still resided elsewhere.

"I think I'll just have a cup of coffee and some dry toast," Lulu declared, handing Georgie a menu that she had long memorized. "When you get a minute, would you like to sit down with us? Spinelli is working on a project that might be of interest to you."

Georgie raised her eyebrow questionably. "What's that?" she asked Spinelli, allowing her gaze to finally rest on the disorganized young man. Prior to the events at Wyndamere, Georgie's only remaining wish was to have the computer hacker look at her. It surprised her how much had changed in such a short time. As she watched him look up at Lulu with an obvious adoration, she didn't feel that same familiar envy.

"Stone Cold has me working on your case, Faithful Friend," he told her, a gallant tone creeping into his voice. "I've been up all night tracing the text messages and comparing them to those received by the Valkyrie. My computer rival, Stan, is working on a trace of the handwritten note. Between our two awesome cyber abilities, I hope to have an answer very soon."

"Thanks, we really appreciate your help," Georgie retorted automatically, not realizing that she was including someone else in her gratitude. To her, it had become innate that Logan was included in the situation. For Lulu, however, it was a little harder to take. "The sooner I can ditch those two over there, the sooner I can go on with my life."

Glancing over her shoulder at the guards, Lulu nodded knowingly. "It's weird but you'll eventually get accustomed to it," she promised. She had her own guard that was forever chasing her around Port Charles because of her connection to Jason and Sonny. After Leticia was attacked at Carly's cottage, she had been assigned a guard to keep her safe. "So, I hear you're staying at Logan's. I hope that works better for you than it did us."

Shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other, Georgie anxiously tapped her pencil against the order pad. "Yeah, thanks," she replied bluntly before turning to Spinelli. "Do you just want your usual? I saw a new bushel of barbeque chips back there that Mike special ordered for you."

"That'd be great," he said dismissively, not even bothering to look up from the laptop. He was clearly engrossed at whatever was on the screen as he typed away on the keyboard. Shaking her head, Georgie left them alone and disappeared toward the kitchen. When she was out of earshot, the self-proclaimed Jackal looked up at his companion. "Okay, Blonde One, what was that dig about? I thought you said you didn't care that the Faithful Friend was with the Unworthy One."

Lulu exhaled loudly and shrugged at her friend. "I don't really care actually," she confessed. "Logan and I were doomed from the start. He's a Baldwin, for goodness sake. The only thing that would be worse in my father's book would be to marry a Cassadine, but since I'm related to the only one left, this is about as bad as it gets. Georgie and I have been stuck on a sick cycle carousel of pain for a long time. I guess that sort of thing just come naturally now."

Reaching over to pat her hand, Spinelli searched her eyes for honesty. Lulu had meant what she said when she proclaimed that she was past Logan. The blonde had shared her plan with him this morning, and while he wasn't ecstatic about the outcome, he was glad that she finally had the chance to be happy. "You need to tell her," he urged quietly. "If you're really going to go through with this, she has the right to know."

For a gawky computer hacker, Damian Spinelli was surely a brilliant man. Giving her best friend a side hug, Lulu smiled at him thankfully and headed for the counter. Mike was just starting a new pot of coffee while Georgie filled Spinelli's cup with orange soda. "Mike, can I borrow Georgie for a few minutes?" she asked politely. "I have something important to tell her."

"Sure, Sweetheart," he permitted. "I'll keep an eye on things out here while you talk in the kitchen. If it gets too busy, I'll come get Georgie."

The skeptical brunette followed Lulu into the kitchen, unsure of what was about to happen. "Before you say anything, I just want to tell you that I am really fine with this thing going on between you and Logan," Lulu promised. "I know that I was snide earlier, but that was just a reflex more than anything. I'm sorry that I said that."

"It's okay. I completely understand and can't say that I wouldn't do the same," Georgie allowed. She studied Lulu for a minute to see if there was more, and by the way the blonde's lips were pursed, there clearly was. "That's not all, is it? What else do you need to tell me?"

Dragging her short fingernails through her long ringlets, Lulu tried to search for the right words to express something that wasn't easy to say. "The last few days since the ball, I have had nothing but time to think. My father nearly lost his life, and my sister-in-law died. Carly, the lone maternal figure left in my life, was nearly strangled. It's all so much that it's bound to change you, put things into perspective."

"I know what you mean," Georgie agreed, her mind flashing to her night trapped with Logan. "You figure out the things that meant so much before don't quite mean the same. And the things that you didn't think mattered, they become everything."

"Exactly," Lulu concurred. "After Emily's funeral, I was lost. Lucky and Nikolas were mourning the life of someone they loved so deeply, and it got me thinking about the people in my own life. I went for a really long walk through Rice Park, remembering all the times Emily and Elizabeth had played with me there as a kid. When I came around the corner to the gazebo, Dillon was there. He was distraught, finding a way to deal with his own loss without falling apart in front of the family. He was pretty much doing the same thing I had been doing all week. When we were finally away from everyone, we could cling to each other and deal with the things that we needed to get out. It was then that I understood what it was like for you with Logan."

"I didn't plan for any of that, any of this, to happen. When we got locked in that room, I was sure that we were going to die there. By the time we got out, I knew that we would save each other or die trying. Now, with everything else that is going on, I need Logan in my life. Even more than that, I want him in my life."

"I know, I understand," Lulu assured her. "That's what I'm trying to say, I guess. The way you need Logan is kind of the way I need Dillon. The last year has been so hard since my mother relapsed again. It's been a long time since I've been happy. I need to get out of Port Charles and try to find a way to be me again. I can't do that here, not with so much history."

"What are you saying?"

"Dillon asked me to go back to California, and I accepted," she admitted finally. Once the confession was off her chest, Lulu felt like she could finally breathe. "I'm not telling you this to throw it in your face. I just wanted you to hear it from me."

There was a time when Georgie would have been incredibly angry or sad, but now, she only felt relief. She was glad to know that both Lulu and Dillon had moved on, even if it was with each other. She had loved her ex-husband very much for a very long time, but those days had been over for some time. "Thank you for being the one to tell me. I hope that you will find what you are looking for in California and that you can be happy. Dillon is really good at being there when you need him the most."

Crossing her arms over her body protectively, Lulu smiled knowingly. "We're finding a way to be there for each other, and right now, I think that's what we both need. For whatever reason, Dillon still finds a way to love me. I need someone right now who can love me for who I am. He has been amazing."

"He is pretty good like that," Georgie nodded before Spinelli came bursting into the kitchen. Looking between the two, it was clear he was trying to decipher whether it was safe. "It's okay, she told me. I'm fine with it. Lulu can go to California with my blessing."

"Good!" he exclaimed. "That's not why I'm back here, though. I think I might have found something. Stone Cold is on his way with the Unworthy One. We might actually have a lead."

"You're going to have to stop calling Logan the Unworthy One," Georgie ordered. "I know that his past transgressions have left a bad taste in your mouth, but he saved me. You don't have to like him, but I hope that you can at least be civil to him. You're my friend, so I don't want to hear you talk poorly of him."

Lulu had never convinced the hacker to change his nickname for Logan Hayes, but the man had saved Georgie's life. For that fact, and that fact alone, he could relent and make a change. "I guess I could call him just Logan," Spinelli offered.

"Maybe you'll come up with a nickname once you get to know him better," Georgie hoped aloud. "If you're going to spend any time with me, he's probably going to be around. Besides the fact that we're living together, Lo is pretty much glued to me."

"Yes, I am," Logan agreed loudly as he came into the diner, Jason a few steps behind him. He could see his girlfriend talking to his ex-girlfriend and Spinelli through the window in the kitchen. Without asking for permission, he swept into the room and lifted Georgie easily off her feet. "Hey, Sweet Potato."

"Sweet Potato?" Lulu taunted. "The best I ever got was Doll." Logan looked over Georgie's shoulder half-apologetically. "It's fine, Logan. It was just a joke."

Georgie squirmed from his arms and settled herself back on the floor. Threading her fingers through Logan's, she pulled him back toward the dining room. "Spinelli thinks he found a match."

"I know, that's why we're here," Logan replied, pulling up a chair to the hacker's table. Pulling Georgie into his lap, he waited for the others to join them.

"Spinelli, let's get to work," Jason called through the empty diner. A few seconds later, Lulu and Spinelli filed out of the kitchen and returned to the table. Typing in a few key words into the search box, the Jackal turned the computer to show his mentor the well-defined results. A blinking name caught Jason's eyes in disbelief.

Everyone leaned over to see what had the usually stoic man so stricken. Lulu's eyes went wide as Logan gasped audibly. Only Georgie was left mute as immediate shock swept through her body. "No," she sobbed softly, turning to look away. Logan's arms went instinctively around her. Hiding her face in chest, tears flooded her face. "It can't be."


	13. Chapter 13

Georgie had been quiet since they had left Kelly's. Once Spinelli had figured out the name of the culprit, Jason had ordered Logan to take her back to his apartment. Security was doubled around the building, leaving both of them to feel almost like prisoners in their own home. Well, Logan felt like a prisoner, but Georgie wasn't feeling much of anything at all. Once the tears had stopped and he had lured her into the car, her sobs had slowly changed to a stunned silence. She only responded when spoken directly to, but even then, her answers were abbreviated. The only thing she seemed to want to do was stare out the window. Logan had tried to coax her away from the glass a few times to no avail. Eventually, he had wrapped a blanket around her shivering shoulders and decided to leave her alone.

The more he was around Georgie, the more he was starting to realize that he couldn't push or prod her until she was ready. There were a million things he wanted to say to her right now to make her feel better. He wanted to ask her questions and find a way to justify this nightmare that was plaguing their lives. The longer she was quiet, the more worried he became. Still, he knew that his own anxiety was only second to the overwhelming fear at play within her. Georgie's life was at risk, and nothing he could say or do right now could change that.

"Logan?" her weak voice came from the window behind him. Closing the book in his lap that he was only pretending to read, he slowly turned and looked at her over his shoulder. Georgie wasn't looking at him. Her steady gaze was fixed on the blinking lights in the harbor.

"I'm right here," he assured her, slowly prying himself off the couch. He walked toward her carefully, unsure of how she would react to have him near again. When she didn't recoil or flinch, he enveloped her into his arms from behind. Georgie stood stiffly but allowed him to hold her. Her body was still shaking beneath him just as it had been when Spinelli had read the stalker's name. "You've been looking out the window for hours. Do you want to try to get some sleep?"

Georgie didn't answer for a few minutes, and Logan wondered if she had even heard him. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she finally shook her head no. "I don't want to sleep right now," she confided, reaching up to wrap the blanket tighter around her. "I just want to be alone. You should try to get some sleep. I'll come up when I'm ready."

Logan didn't want to leave her, but it was the only request she had made of him all night. With a silent nod, he grabbed the book off the couch and headed upstairs. Once he was behind closed doors, he made a call down to her guards to let them know she was in the living room alone. After he had hung up, Logan sunk onto his bed with the intentions to read until she came up. However, stress eventually gave way to exhaustion, and before too long, he had settled into a semi-alert state of slumber.

Downstairs, Georgie began to pace the length of Logan's living room repeatedly. She replayed the incidents of the last week over and over again in her head, desperate to remember every detail. She recollected each message and each threat. She thought about the other women who had been attacked, trying to find even the slightest connection that would make sense. The pattern was erratic at best and non-existent at worst. Mac had once told her that those were the worst kind of cases. They were the ones that tended to go unsolved and end with travesty. Georgie was determined to be more than just another statistic.

Of all the names she could have read on that computer screen, the profile that had come up was one of the ones Georgie would have least expected. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was still praying that it was a mistake. If this guy was as technologically savvy as he appeared to be, it was possible that he was piggybacking on the same phone number over and over again to set someone up. She had heard Spinelli explaining the technicalities to Jason and Logan while Lulu had tried in vain to help Georgie collect herself. In the car on the way back, Georgie had jotted keywords in the notepad she carried everywhere with her.

Not for the first time, Georgie wished that her mother was there. Felicia and Frisco Jones had been a dynamic duo in the illustrious WSB organization for many years, but now, they were a distant memory to the investigative world. Truth be told, they were becoming a faint dream to their daughters as well. Still, Georgie felt like Felicia would be able to help her solve this if she were still in Port Charles. At the very least, she would have some advice about surviving the seemingly unsurvivable. As Georgie stopped to look out the window, she wasn't sure if she meant the Text Message Killer or falling in love with the likes of Logan. Either way, she was determined to survive both and end up happier because of it.

Padding across the living room, she pulled her iPod from her purse and headed back to her favored seat at the window. She was slowly starting to come out of herself and snap back to the version of her life that was now reality. Scrolling through her playlist, she found the track that she was looking for. When the darkness was so deep like this, there was only one thing that would pull her completely out. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against the ledge and let the words come. From the depths of her heart, she felt every syllable as her voice drifted toward the rafters.

"Share with me the blankets that you're wrapped in because it's cold outside. Share with me the secrets that you kept inside because it's cold inside," she sang loudly, shutting everything out except the voice in her ear. "And your slow shaking fingertips show that you're scared like me so let's pretend we're alone. And I know you may be scared. And I know we're unprepared, but I don't care."

Logan was awakened by the sound of Georgie's beautiful alto voice singing lyrics at the top of her lungs. He recognized the song immediately, knowing that it was the one she had played on repeat the morning after they'd escaped Wyndamere. "Tell me, tell me, what makes you think that you are invincible?" he heard her sing. "I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure. Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that's vulnerable. Impossible."

Swinging his feet over the edge of the bed, he was halfway down the stairs when she transitioned into the second verse. "I was born to tell you I love you. Isn't that a song already? I get a B in originality, and it's true that I can't go on without you. Your smile makes me see clear. If you could only see in the mirror what I see."

Georgie didn't even open her eyes when he sat down across from her and took her hand in his. Instead, she only sang louder and gave into the words even more. As she repeated the chorus, Logan listened to the weight of the meaning. This situation had left them both feeling vulnerable, very much the opposite of vulnerable. They weren't ready for any of it, the threats or the sudden relationship. Still, it was the hand that they had been dealt, and Logan felt like for the first time in the game of life, he might actually be winning. When she struck up the third voice, Logan began to hum along to the tune.

"Slow down, girl, you're not going anywhere. Just wait around and see," they sang in unison. "Maybe I am much more, you never know what lies ahead. I promise I can be anyone, I can be anything. Just because you were heart doesn't mean you shouldn't bleed. I can be anyone, anything."

It was only just before the last line when Georgie realized that she wasn't alone. Her eyes fluttered open and locked with Logan's instantly. As they sang that last lyric together, she believed in what he was saying, "I promise I can be what you need." Squeezing his hand, she crawled closer to him as they finished the song out together, connected like they had to be to survive this. When the last bars had faded away, she pulled the headphones from her ear and turned to him. "I know that you can."

Logan took this as a signal that she was finally ready to talk about what had happened at Kelly's. "Georgie, I promise you that we are going to get through this."

"I love you, Logan," she said suddenly. Under ordinary circumstances, it would be too soon and Georgie knew that. However, there was nothing normal about their relationship – how they had gotten together, the fact that they were living together after only a week, why they were living together at all. Moments like these in life were fleeting, and her heart was the one thing she still had control of. If she felt it, she was going to say it. She wasn't going to allow fear to dictate her ability to openly love.

Pressing his forehead to hers, he leaned in to capture her mouth in a sweet, soulful kiss. After they had parted, he held her in a tight hug. "I love you, Georgianna Jones," calling her by her given name. "I love you so much that I'm not going to let you push me away. You're determined to do everything but talk about this, but we have to. It's like the song said, we're both scared so let's not pretend that we're alone."

Only two men had ever made it to the inner depths of Georgie's heart and mind – her father and Dillon. Mac had been the only constant in her life, and Dillon had once been the one to save her. Now, Logan was becoming both of those things in one person, a gift in every sense of the word. "If you had listed a million names for me, his is still the one I never would have expected to hear," she confessed. "There has to be some kind of explanation so that this will all make sense. Emily and I have both known him for so long. He would never try to hurt us."

"People have a way of surprising us," Logan pointed out. He wanted to believe that the man would never hurt Georgie, but he couldn't past him. He couldn't put it past anyone. Logan had to look at this logically and consider every single angle. Other than himself, the only person he knew for certain that it wasn't was Jason. The determined glint in the mobster's blue eyes assured him of that.

"I'm sorry, I just can't believe that he would do this," she repeated. "He loved Emily. They were family. I've known him since I was a little girl. He wouldn't do this."

Logan rubbed her back soothingly, trying his best to calm her. "You heard what Jason said. We have to consider all possibilities. Look, this guy hasn't been right in months. It's possible that something inside him is broken beyond repair and now he's going after innocent women."

Only then did Georgie dare utter his name, the first time she had spoken it aloud since the incident at the diner. "Dammit, Logan!" she shouted, breaking away from you. "It's not Nikolas. I don't care how sick he is, he would never hurt Emily. If he's so sick, how could he plan something elaborate as this? Come on, it doesn't make sense."

He hated to admit that she had a point because then it would mean that they still had no clues. Jason thought there was some merit to the discovery, and for now, Logan had to hold onto that. Even if it was Nikolas Cassadine, they had a name for this psycho, which meant that they had a target. They knew what they were up against. If it wasn't him, Logan didn't know what to do. He would be just as lost and as helpless as they were this morning. Having someone that he could put a face to justified all his anger and hate.

Looking up at him again, this time with unshed tears dwelling in her eyes, Georgie repeated her mantra. "It's not him. It's not Nikolas." Logan held her gaze for a moment before staring out the window. In his heart, he suddenly knew that she was right. Jason would figure that out officially soon enough. In the mean time, that psychotic strangler was still out there. Logan was only counting the minutes until he would remind the women of Port Charles of his presence and strike again.

_Author's Note: The lyrics quoted in this song are from the breathtaking song by Secondhand Serenade, "Vulnerable." I do not own the words, which appear on the amazing 2007 debut release, Awake, on Glassnote Records. This is chapter is also as close to a songfic as you will ever get from me. _


	14. Chapter 14

In the short time that they had been living together, Logan's favorite thing in the entire world had quickly become watching her sleep. He could spend hours next to her on the bed, watching as she dreamt and escaped reality for just a little while. She had caught him more than once, turning away in sheepish embarrassment when she realized that he had been staring at her. Each time, he had turned her cheek back toward him and gazed into her trusting brown eyes. No matter how hard she tried to fight it, he would always be looking at her because when she was in the room, there was nowhere else he could stare.

"Are you staring at me again, Hayes?" she asked sleepily without opening her eyes. Georgie knew instinctively where he was on the bed as she reached for his hand. Logan slipped down on the mattress beside her to wrap his arm around her. "You know that I hate when you do that. I'd complain but we both know it's not going to do any good."

Logan chuckled as she readjusted herself to lay her head on his chest. Stroking her soft hair absently, he was about to give her a sarcastic reply when her cell phone rang from beneath the covers. After a few moments of frantic searching, he proudly retrieved it beneath the stack of plush pillows that surrounded them. "Here you are," he offered, pressing a kiss on her temple as she flipped the phone open.

"Hey, Maxie," she greeted her sister. Logan could hear a frantic conversation on the other end of the line but failed to decipher exactly what she was saying. He tried to read a response on Georgie's face but she remained motionless. Her lack of reaction worried him almost as much as the anxious conversation Maxie seemed to be having by herself at that point. Finally, Georgie spoke into the phone. "Thanks for calling to let me know. I need to go now so that I can fill Logan in on the details. Let me know if you hear anything else, and if you need me, you know where to find me. I love you, Maxie."

Tossing the phone on the down comforter, Georgie's shocked expression quickly transformed into one of fear. "Penny was strangled tonight outside of Kelly's," she told him. Logan's arms flew immediately around her, bringing her back to his body. There was a fierce protectiveness to his embrace even though they were alone. For some reason, he felt if he held her tightly enough, nothing bad could ever happen to them. "I was supposed to work tonight, but Penny agreed to pick up my shift after what happened yesterday. Mike wanted me to take a few days off."

He knew her well enough to understand that beyond just the fear, Georgie now felt incredibly guilty. "This is not your fault," he assured her. The words would hold little meaning in comparison in how badly she felt. In her mind, she was to blame. If she had been stronger, Penny would have had the night off like she had planned. The stalker had been threatening Georgie for days now. It was clear that he had thought that she would be at the diner. Instead, the Text Message Killer found Penny and made her pay for whatever twisted vendetta plagued the psychopath.

"It's time to tell Mac," she told him, tears welling in her chocolate eyes. Logan nodded understandingly. "First, you need to get in contact with Jason. I'm sure that his men are already aware of the situation. Maybe he can get Spinelli on the case to see if she got any messages before she was strangled. There might be some kind of connection to the texts she received and the ones sent to Carly and me."

It was Logan's turn to make a phone call. As it turned out, Jason and Spinelli were already navigating the so-called cyber world for any traceable clues. Milo had also been reassigned to closely follow Georgie and Logan wherever they went. Max had been moved from Sonny's to tail Carly at all times. Alexis and the girls had their guard detail doubled, and Lulu was now the reluctant recipient of a pair of guards as she and Dillon celebrated the end of the year with the Quartermaines. Security surrounding the women and children of the Corinthos organization had never been tighter.

By the time they had hung up, Logan had arranged another meeting with Jason. He wanted to go over any last minute details before talking to Mac. In fact, the man had surprisingly agreed to talk to Mac about what he knew if it meant keeping Georgie, Carly and the boys safe. For the first time in a long time, he was on the same side as the PCPD. "Jason should be here in a few minutes to go over the details with me. If you want to set something up with Mac for this afternoon, he agreed to talk to him. He just wants everyone to be safe and to find some kind of justice for his sister."

"My dad is going to be angry," she realized softly, her voice dripping with anxious concern. "Even if he can calm down long enough to listen to Jason, he isn't going to like anything about this situation. I shouldn't have lied to him, but I just wanted to protect him. I know Mac, and he definitely won't see this my way. He is going to want me to move back into the house."

As much as Logan hated the idea of Georgie leaving and him returning to lonely nights alone in his bed, her safety was the most important objective. "Maybe that would be the best thing for you, Sweet Potato," he attempted. "Look, I don't want you to leave, but I also don't want to lose you. If you would be safer at home, then you should go back."

"First of all, this is my home now," she retorted. "Secondly, Mac can't be with me all the time. You have devoted your entire life right now to making sure that I am okay. The only time I feel safe is when I'm with you. Maybe it's not the best thing for me to become so dependant on you, but right now, you're what I need. My dad can get as angry as he wants and make all these demands, but I'm an adult. I know what's best for me. You're what is best for me."

Logan never thought that he would hear the day when he would be the best thing for anyone, let alone a woman as amazing and intellectual as Georgie Jones. "I'm not going to argue with you. I just wanted to let you know that I would understand if you would feel safer there. I wouldn't like sleeping without you in my arms, but I would rather have you breathing."

Leaning up, Georgie wove her arms around his neck and brought his lips down to hers. The exchange was brief but fulfilling, sweet but passionate. He turned his head to deepen the moment, temporarily losing himself in the heaven that was her kiss. "Sorry, you're not getting rid of me that easily, Lo," she teased before pulling his favorite hoodie over her head. The door bell rang to announce Jason's arrival. "Why don't you go downstairs and talk to Jason? I'll call my dad to set up a meeting and then come down to join you."

Taking the stairs two at a time, Logan pulled the door open and let Jason into the living room. Spinelli was a few steps behind, carefully balancing his prized laptop and a bottle of orange pop. "Hey, guys," Logan greeted them. "Spinelli, you can set up at the table if you need somewhere to work. Georgie is upstairs calling her dad and then she should be down."

"Fine," Jason replied curtly. "One of our sources down at the PCPD called a few minutes after Penny was found in the alley behind Kelly's. She had a telephone cord wrapped around her neck just like Leticia. It looked like the attack was from behind. There were too many sets of footprints in the snows to get any specific leads and there were no apparent witnesses. The guy did say that she was holding her cell phone, which had a few opened text messages. Only one of them was from an unknown number."

"What did it say?" Logan asked.

Spinelli answered for his self-proclaimed mentor. "You'll have to do," he revealed. "It's clear that the killer was looking for Wise Georgie and found Penny instead."

"Spinelli," Jason warned. "Look, Georgie is going to have enough guilt going on. We don't need to bring up what exactly the message said if we can help it. She is going to blame herself, and I know how horrible and all-consuming that can be."

"She already does," Logan acknowledged. "She knows that Penny was only working tonight because Mike made her take a few days off. As soon as Maxie told her, she started feeling like this was her fault. I think that somewhere in her mind, she knows that she didn't do this, but right now, logic isn't dictating her emotions."

All three men became quiet at the sound of Georgie's footsteps on the staircase. Logan rose to meet her, searching her eyes for some hint of her state of mind. "Mac agreed to come by here and talk," she told them. "He knows that you are going to be here, Jason. I told him that you want to work with the police on what you know. He promised that he would do whatever he could to make the cooperation as seamless as possible. Under ordinary circumstances, I would understand your reluctance, but I can promise you that he will do this for my sake."

"It's funny the things you will do for the people that you love," Jason said as he looked back at the computer screen. "I'd be willing to do almost anything right now to make sure that Carly stays safe and they find out who killed my sister. I've never hated someone I didn't know so intensely before."

"Tell me about it," Logan commiserated as he dropped onto the sofa, pulling Georgie down beside him. "Have you guys come up with any other leads?"

Spinelli continued typing for a few moments before looking up. "Well, Stone Cold and I both agree with Wise Georgie's assessment of Nikolas. It is unlikely that the Cassadine Prince would be unable to plan such a well-crafted violence spree given his current state. I am beginning to think that these texts have been piggybacked to various numbers of connected and noteworthy people all across Port Charles."

"Who else have the messages been connected to?" Georgie questioned.

"The Valkyrie received one from Jake's favorite bartender, Coleman," Spinelli answered. "One of the messages you received was from Detective Cruz with the PCPD."

"It could be either of them, or it could be someone else completely," Jason added. "There is no way of telling what direction this is taking without any sense of real pattern. The only thing I am certain of right now is that Georgie is the primary target and Carly seems to be a close second."

Hopelessness was the only word to describe Georgie's outlook. If the famed Jason Morgan couldn't figure this out, she held little hope for the bumbling police department led by her father. Despite his exemplary police skills, the PCPD wasn't known for its ability to close high profile cases. More often than not, it took the work of civilians for any true justice to come in Port Charles. "What if I was to offer myself as bait?" she asked. "We could set it up so that guards were watching me? We could draw the guy out into public and try to get him to attack me. Just when he was about to pounce, someone could swoop in to save me while revealing the killer."

"You are not putting your life at risk," Logan informed her bossily while Jason piped up, "That's a crazy plan. It sounds like something Carly would suggest." Spinelli was next, completely the trifecta of disapproval. "Wise Georgie, live up to your name."

"Just hear me out," she pleaded before explaining the intricate details of her extemporaneous plan. While it sounded almost crazy enough to work, the three men were not willing to agree on anything that would put her life at risk. Knowing that Mac would never go for it and that far too may chances were involved, they refused to believe that this could work for even a moment. Finally, after listening to their endless points and counterpoints, she asked the only question weighing on her mind. "What if this is the only way?"


	15. Chapter 15

After Jason had once again rejected Georgie's plan to use herself as bait to lure the stalker out of hiding, she had disappeared upstairs in a huff not at all unlike the ones he had seen from Carly over the years. Before tonight, he would have seen very few similarities between the two women, but now, it was undeniable that there was a common thread that held them both together. They were willing to put their own lives at risk if it meant protecting the people that they loved. That very trait was the thing Jason loved and hated most about his best friend. More than once, her plans had put them both in danger, and it had been up to Jason to save them. However, when it came down to it, he also knew that he could count on Carly to show up just in the nick of the time. For all the times that her crazy plans didn't work, those rare occasions made it worth it.

Logan wasn't used to these tirades quite yet, and Jason had had to stifle his laughter watching the young man go through a range of emotions. At first, he seemed surprised that the otherwise logical Georgie would even consider such a preposterous plan. Then, he started to see her reason against his own common sense. Her ability to so easily change his mind brought about frustration, the characteristic that pretty much defined Jason's relationship with Carly. From there, it usually transforms into concern and anxiety at the thought of what could happen if she did put her life on the line. It was inevitable that he started to consider the repercussions and what it would feel like to lose someone that changed his life. By the end of it, he was simply fed up with arguing and was willing to do just about anything to keep her from ever leaving the building again.

"What if Georgie is right?" Logan asked timidly, hesitant to even consider the possibility. "I'm not saying that it's a good idea at all, but it is possible that this may be the only way to figure out who this guy is. It's clear that he is targeting her for some reason. He's going to come after her one way or another. If we did it this way, we would be in control. He'd have the upper hand any other way."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jason considered Logan's point for a moment. If they could plan every single detail, there was a chance that they could trap this guy by using Georgie as bait. However, there was a huge, bleak question mark hanging over the entire situation. "There are just too many unknown variables here. One false step could get Georgie hurt or killed. I'm just as anxious to catch this guy. Trust me, I've thought about it from every angle. I just don't think it'd be a smart move to put Carly or Georgie at risk. We would be too distraught if anything happened to either of them to stay focused on everything else. That could end up hurting more people in the end."

"She's not going to stop until she figures something out," Logan told his boss. "I've seen her fight with Maxie, and Georgie does not back down. There are times when she is so afraid that she can't stand to be anywhere without me. If she is alone for even a second, she has a panic attack. Other times, she is determined to do this by herself. She hates letting this fear dictate her life. Georgie is too much of a survivor to let this get the best of her."

"Sounds a lot like Carly," Jason grinned. A flash of the beautiful blonde danced in his head, reminding him of why he was doing all this in the first place. He had promised to protect her with his life more than a decade ago, and everything he had done since had been designed to fulfill that vow. Carly and the boys were the center of everything in his universe. "It's infuriating at times because all I want to do is protect her, but she won't always let me. Sometimes she even wants to protect me. People always think that I just 'handle' Carly, but it's never been like that. It's so much more. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but if you figure it out, let me know."

Logan chuckled, realizing for the first time that maybe there were similarities between himself and Jason Morgan as well. They were both fiercely loyal and would do anything to protect those that they loved. Blessed with the chance to choose the people they called family, there lives were dictated by a vow to protect a beautiful woman. "I think that we need to go back to what Spinelli brought up. Georgie is sure that it's not Nikolas. We know that two of the messages came from Coleman and Cruz. I guess the next step would be to look into them."

"I already have Spinelli on it," Jason assured him. He thought a moment before turning serious, trying to figure out the best way to broach the subject. "There was another name that came up when he was running the cross reference. I didn't want to bring it up in front of Georgie because she already has enough on her plate."

Something about Jason's voice set Logan instantly at unease. "Who is it?"

"Cooper Barrett," he answered. "I know that he is your best friend, but we really need to look at everyone here. Even if Sonny's name came up, I would have to consider it. If I found out later that it had been him and he hurt Carly, I would never be able to forgive myself."

Nodding slowly, Logan let the suggestion sink into his brain. He couldn't imagine his best friend, the man that he considered to be his brother, ever hurting a woman. There had been an incident while they were in Iraq, but somehow, Logan had managed to bury it in the back of his mind. War changed people and put soldiers in situations they never imagined. The only thing anyone has in that desert is their word, so Logan had believed Coop when he said that it was an accident. "Do whatever you have to do to keep Georgie safe. That's the only thing I ask."

A mutual look of understanding passed between the two men. "I need to go by and check on Carly. If anything happens, call me. I'll be in touch once Spinelli finds out anything. If you need to go out for anything, send one of the guards downstairs. You can speak to Milo if there are any problems."

"Thanks," Logan retorted, following Jason to the door. Jason nodded once and disappeared down the hallway in a gentle jog. Shutting the door behind him, Logan enjoyed the silence for a moment before padding toward the stairs. He could hear Georgie's voice as he reached the landing, her tone serious and darker than usual. Pausing outside their now-shared bedroom, he felt slightly guilty as he listened in on her conversation. From the sounds of it, she must have been talking to Maxie.

"I'm fine, I promise," Georgie insisted. "Jason and Spinelli are working with Logan to figure out who is doing this. In the mean time, I'm safer here than I would be at home. I have the best security money can buy in this building, not to mention my own personal bodyguard in Milo. Logan never leaves me alone for more than a few minutes, and when I do get scared, he's right there to reassure and protect me. The only way I can sleep these days is when I'm with him. It wouldn't be that way if I was at the house."

Logan listened to a pregnant pause as Maxie replied. After three minutes, Georgie fumbled with the phone and set it down on the nightstand on her side of the bed. The door was slightly cracked, and through the opening, he watched as she clicked on the speaker phone. Maxie's whiny voice filled the room as she once again pointed out why staying with Logan wasn't the best idea. Georgie only rolled her eyes and shook her head, never once saying a word. Even if she wasn't sticking up for him, she wasn't buying it. Pushing the door open, he stood in the doorway and gazed at her. Her sullen face broke into a wide smile and she shrugged.

"Hey, Maxie, I'm taking care of your sister. You don't have to understand it or even like it, but I'm not going to let you make her feel bad for it," Logan finally spoke up, putting an end to the one-sided conversation. "You are welcome to come by here and visit, but don't think for a minute that you are going to convince her to leave. Georgie is here because she wants to be. If I'm the place she feels safe, why would you want her to leave?"

"Georgie wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for you," Maxie spat. "She wasn't connected to the mob until the night of the Black & White Ball. If you had just left her alone, the stalker would have never come after her."

"Actually, Maxie," Georgie piped up, "I wouldn't have been stuck with Logan if you hadn't disappeared that night. He had to stay with me while my date, Cooper, went off to look for you. If you had just stayed in the ballroom like everyone else, I wouldn't have had to stay in the study."

Maxie exhaled loudly into the phone. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Neither does blaming Logan," Georgie smiled triumphantly, happy that her point was made. "You have made a lot of choices that I didn't agree with, but I've always supported you because you're my sister and I love you. It looks like it's about time that you repay that favor. Like Lo said, you don't have to understand or like this, but it's my choice to make. I need to be with Logan, and even more than that, I want to be with Logan. Nothing you say or do is going to change that."

"Fine," Maxie relented. "If anything happens to my sister…"

"It won't," Logan promised, looking straight into Georgie's eyes. He wouldn't let it.

Georgie felt herself blush as she turned away. "You can stop playing the same protective tune that Mac tried," she told her sister. "You need to start looking after yourself. It's possible that the connection isn't just to Sonny's organization. We have no clue who this guy is. Be careful, Maxie."

The two sisters talked for a few more minutes before ending the call with a promise of lunch in a few days at Kelly's. Once she had hung up, Georgie peeled off her sweatshirt and crawled under the covers. Holding back a corner of the comforter, she looked up at Logan pleadingly. "Do me a favor."

"Anything."

"Can you just hold me for a little bit?" she requested, sounding younger than he had ever heard her. It had been a long and confusing day for everyone, but she was feeling especially distraught. Life was changing around every corner, and little by little, her trust circle was becoming smaller and smaller. Outside her family, Spinelli, Jason and Logan, she was slowly beginning to fear everyone that she came across. With very few clues, it could literally be anyone.

Yanking his tee over his head, Logan slid under the covers beside Georgie. She was shaking when he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her into his embrace. "Sweet Potato, I need to tell you something," he revealed in a whisper. Hearing her stand up to Maxie for him made him more sure than ever that he didn't want any secrets between them. "Jason found another common connection between the messages. I'm not sure what to make of it yet, but he has to consider every option."

"Logan, who is it?"

"Cooper."

"Coop? There is no way," she argued. "How can you even think it? He's your best friend. Just a few days ago you were touting his greatness. Now, you are thinking that he could be the guy targeting me?"

Logan remembered what Jason told him earlier. "It's like Jason said. If I found out later that he was the one doing this and you were hurt, I would blame myself for the rest of my life. I am praying and hoping that it's not Coop, but if it is, we're better off knowing sooner rather than later. And if it's not him, I will know that he really is my best friend."

"I'm more important than Coop?"

"Sweet Potato, you've easily become the most important person in the world to me," he confessed. "You make me want to do all these things I never wanted to do before. Whether it is giving my father a chance so that I can get to know my biological family or letting a girl I've truly known for only a few hours move in with me, it's undeniable that you've changed my life. When I told you that I would do anything for you, I meant it. If it means doubting my best friend until I know that you're safe, I consider it a very small price to pay. Your life is worth everything to me."

"I don't want it to be him. More than anything, I don't want it to be Coop," she murmured, turning over to face him. Pressing her forehead against his, her breath tickled his chin with each word. "Maxie could be at risk, and you would lose your best friend. I don't want to be the reason you lose him."

"If it turns out that Cooper is this guy, I've already lost my best friend," he reassured her. "The man that was my brother and best friend could never do these things."

"I'll be your best friend," she offered with a soft, gentle smile.

Pulling her mouth to his, Logan uttered his reply just before their lips touched. "You're already everything."


	16. Chapter 16

"Jason, you can order around Logan and Georgie all you want to, but I am not going to stay locked in this house like a prisoner just because you say so." Carly had been arguing with Jason for more than an hour now, eliciting more rounds of points and counterpoints than he would have liked. He had stopped by the cottage on the way back to the coffeehouse in hopes that for once his best friend would actually listen to his advice. Yeah, right. "I agreed to let you tighten security since Jax is out of town, but there is no way I am going to move into Sonny's so that you can sleep better. The boys can stay with their father but I have every intention of staying in my own house."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jason ignored the pounding headache that was coming on. It was a familiar pain, one that could only be brought on by the demanding blonde. He loved her more than life itself, but it didn't mean that he liked her tirades anymore than anyone else. She could be a pain, but she would walk through fire for him. God knows that he would do the same and so much more for her. "There is a lot going on right now, Carly, and the last thing Sonny needs is to worry about you. If you and the boys stay at the house with him, he will be able to focus. You can't be running around town without this guy on the loose. It's clear that he is targeting you."

Carly raised a perfect eyebrow and growled at him. Jason was her guardian angel and she respected his reasoning for doing the things he did; however, it didn't mean that she had to accept his methods. "I don't give a damn what Sonny wants. We're divorced and have been for quite some time. He doesn't need to worry about me. I took care of myself long before he came along."

"Then don't do this for Sonny," he implored, choosing to take a more patient tone with her. "You know that I can't work if I have to worry about you. If I know you're safe, I might be able to catch this guy a lot faster. Carly, if anything happened to you, it would devastate the boys. You know that it would kill me. If you can't do this for Sonny, do it for the boys and me. Do it for your family."

Biting her bottom lip in defeat, Carly crossed the living room to envelope her best friend in her arms. A lot had happened in the past month, leaving Jason visibly shaken. She knew that losing Emily would devastate him, but he had managed to remain strong in the chaotic aftermath of the Black and White Ball. He had been so focused on finding the killer and protecting her that he had given himself very little time to mourn. "Jase, the last thing I want you to do is worry about me. I just can't go stay with Sonny. He'll think that he can coop me up there every time anything goes wrong. At some point, we need to cut the cord. I can stay at the hotel with doubled security."

He considered her suggestion for half a minute before rejecting it. "You're actually trying to get past Sonny for the right reasons," he realized aloud. "I understand why you don't want to stay with him, so I am going to let this go. But you're not staying at the hotel. If you are set on being so damn independent, I'm going to stay with you."

"You don't have to do that," she insisted weakly. Truth be told, she didn't exactly want to be alone. Try as he may, Jax never made her feel entirely safe. He had told her time and time again that she and the boys came first, but she had never really felt it to be true. Jason, on the other hand, had devoted his entire life to keeping her safe. No matter what had happened, he had always found a way to show up when she needed him most. "I'm sure that Max won't let anything happen to me."

"If I was going to trust anyone else to watch over you, it would be Max," he agreed. "These aren't ordinary circumstances. Georgie had to move in with Logan because that was the only way we could completely monitor her environment. Milo is practically glued to her side, and she isn't really allowed to go all that many places either. I am doing everything I can to protect her. And as much as I am doing for her, I would do twice as much for you. No one else could ever protect you like me. I have to make sure that you're safe, so I am going to stay here with you until Jax gets back."

Nuzzling her face into Jason's chest, she inhaled the familiar scent of leather, soap and gasoline. "Thank you for wanting to keep me safe," she retorted softly, allowing her wide eyes to fall shut. In his embrace, she would always feel like nothing could hurt her. He had been there through everything, by her side for it all. "I know that there are going to be a lot of people who don't like this, including Little Lizzie. I appreciate the fact that you care more about protecting me than what other people think."

"As long as you are alive, I don't really give a damn what other people think. You know that," he grinned despite himself. She could see right through him, no matter what he was trying to hide. He knew that Carly was right. Elizabeth wouldn't like the fact that he was living with Carly. She had always been jealous of his best friend, knowing that she would never quite come in first. He had been lying for her for months because she wanted to keep her family safe. This time, it was his family that needed protection. Elizabeth owed him that much. "I need to run by my penthouse to pick up a few things and then swing by to check on Logan. If you don't mind, I'll probably bring Spinelli. He tends to get into trouble if left alone too long."

Thinking about the strange young man, Carly couldn't help but smile. He wasn't the typical character that Jason would befriend, but he had quickly become an important part of his life. Half like a son to him and half like a trusted companion, Spinelli mattered to Jason, making him important to her. "Sure, he can stay in the guest room downstairs. You can stay in ones upstairs."

"I appreciate it," he thanked her. Pressing a tender kiss to her silky crown, he pulled away to search her eyes. He needed to see that she was okay, and her gaze always told him exactly how she felt. "I should be home in an hour." _Home_, the word had rolled off his tongue so easily.

The word didn't go lost on Carly either. Instead, it echoed over and over in her mind as she walked him to the door. Still grasping his hand tentatively, she was grateful how they could still say so much without any words. She had always been able to just be when she was with Jason. This time she would be safe. Who knew what she would be next time?

Across town, in the warmth of the cozy apartment, Georgie and Logan were going over the details again. She had explained everything that Spinelli had found and why they had suspected her sister's boyfriend. Logan had listened to every detail patiently, trying to find every angle and hole in the story. While there were too many to count, he could certainly see their logic. Besides the fact that he could be easily placed at the scene of many of the incidents, he had the knowledge and strength to pull off such a stunt. It wouldn't take much for the former soldier to be able to take breath from an unsuspecting woman's body. He hated to think that it was possible, but if it meant keeping Georgie safe, he would have to.

Since Georgie had made the suggestion a few hours ago, Logan had been remembering the incident on the military base. He had known Katie Petersen from around. They had even spoken once in the mess hall when the kitchen had run out of potatoes. He didn't know her that well, but she seemed nice enough. An investigation had been launched to track down her killer, but they were never able to solve the case. Cooper had been questioned more than once. Logan had immediately leapt to his defense, sure that his military brother could never kill a woman in cold blood. He had seen how hard it had been for Coop to kill in the field. Logan would have never even entertained the thought that his best friend was capable of murder. Now that Georgie was questioning it for him, he knew that he needed to tell her.

"Sweet Potato, there's something that you need to know. I don't want you to hear it from anyone else, and if we keep looking into this, you're going to find it out," he announced. Her chocolate eyes flashed with concern. She was leaning against the edge of his dresser, so he reached out to pull her down on the bed with him. "Two years ago, when we were in Iraq, I didn't care about anything or anyone. I had just lost my mom, so I didn't really care if I lived or died. The only person that had really managed to change any of that was Cooper. I would have done anything to protect him. I would have given up my life in his place if it meant that he would live to see another day."

She was perplexed by his sudden explanation. "Lo, I know that you don't want to believe that Coop is capable of this, but we have to," she attempted. "If it was Lucas or Spinelli under suspicion, I would probably be the same way."

"That's not why I am telling you this," he promised. "While we were stationed in Iraq, a girl went missing. They found her two days later, strangled just off our base. I guess it was pretty brutal. Her name was Katie. She grew up about 100 miles from me. I met her once. She helped me convince the head cook to make more mashed potatoes when we were both late to show up for lunch one day."

"While I'm sorry to hear that, I don't understand what that has to do with anything."

"Cooper was unaccounted for the night that Katie was killed," Logan explained. "After the sergeant came in for bed checks, he snuck out. He told me that he just wanted to take a long walk to clear his mind. He had just broken up with his high school sweetheart and was pretty broken up over it. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when she came up missing, he was one of the first people they questioned. One of the night guards had spotted him walking around the perimeter after lights out."

Georgie recoiled from Logan's touch, needing a moment to let his admission sink She looked at him in disbelief. "There wasn't any sign of it when Spinelli looked at his record. Did they ever find anything out?"

Rubbing his bare hand over her neck, he pulled her back toward him. There were so many unasked questions shining in her eyes, and now, the only thing that he wanted to do was give her every answer that she needed. He brushed a soft kiss over her lips, surprised to taste the saltiness of fallen tears. "Please don't cry."

"What if it is Cooper, Logan? What if he goes after my sister next?" she asked desperately. "If you think that he could have killed that girl then, what would stop him from doing it now? He knows these people. He has inside information as a cop. No one would suspect that he would do something this horrible."

"There's more." Now that he had started telling her the real story, he needed to make sure that she knew everything. "When Coop first came to town, he had some sob story about starting a new life. Well, that was partly true, but that's not what drew him to Port Charles in the first place. He didn't even tell me for months, and from what I know, only a few other people know why he's here."

"Go on," she urged, allowing him to wrap his arm around her back. "Why did he come?"

"A few months after we were discharged, he got into a little bit of trouble. He needed to raise some money quickly, so he ended up taking a deal. He didn't know the details, but he was supposed to help take siege of a hotel. In and out in a few minutes, he didn't think that it would last that long. It ended up being the hostage situation at the Metrocourt."

It was Logan's turn to recoil when he heard a stifled sob escape past Georgie's pursed lips. Burying her face in her hand, she began to shake. "I can't believe this," she muttered. "Cooper was one of the gunmen that almost killed Robin. He was in there when Alan Quartermaine had his heart attack. Maxie was in there."

"I know," he replied carefully. "Coop was Three, the guy that she was locked in the vault with. She agreed to help him hide and start a new life. Something happened in there that changed both of them. Apparently, Sonny and Jason found out because Max recognized his voice. Other than Jerry Jax, no one else knows."

"How could she stay with him?" Georgie asked. "After what happened to Robin, how could she do that?"

"She fell in love. You do all sorts of things you never thought you would do when you fall in love. It happens in a split second, but it changes your life. Maxie chose to believe that Coop had changed because she loved him. You've chosen to believe that I'm different because you love me. It's no different."

"It's quite different," she argued. "You're different. You would never hurt a woman. Look at what you've done for me."

"Like I said, love changes people. It makes you do things you never thought that you would do. The night of the Black and White Ball changed my life. You changed my life. I'd like to say that loving your sister changed Coop, but I just don't know."

"So, we have to tell Jason?"

Shaking his head slowly, Logan knew that Georgie was right. "We have to tell Jason."


	17. Chapter 17

For the first time since the night of the Black and White Ball, Georgie was going to be allowed to drive. Logan had been overly protective in the aftermath of the horrific night and understandably so. He insisted on chauffeuring everywhere they went, whether it was to her 8 a.m. history class at PCU or a quick supper at Kelly's. Two bodyguards were usually tucked in the backseat of the armored SUV they had been assigned the night Georgie moved into the penthouse. She tried not to complain when she was escorted into the vehicle, knowing that it was only because Logan cared about her safety. Still, she was beginning to miss the simple pleasures that came with being able to drive where ever she wanted to go. She missed her freedom.

Fear is a hard thing to live with, and no matter how many times she promised herself that she wouldn't change her life, she knew that she had to. She had changed it when she left her home to move into a secured apartment building with a boy that she barely knew. She had changed when she trusted Logan more than she trusted her own father. She had changed when she began to worry about the former soldier as much as she worried about herself. Hell, she had changed the moment she had flown across that room at Wyndamere. Every little thing that had happened since that moment had changed her life and inevitable who she was. And now, that girl was driving her boyfriend across town to tell a mobster, someone her father despised, how her sister's boyfriend could possibly be the man behind the serial strangulations. It was incomprehensible.

"There is a black SUV in front of you and behind you," Logan informed her as they began to exit the private parking garage. "You need to stay between these two vehicles at all time."

Georgie shook her head to indicate that she understood. Logan had only allowed her to drive because his mind was working in overdrive and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to concentrate in the evening rush hour traffic. Turning on her left blinker, she followed the lead car onto the bustling street and headed east toward Harborview Towers. "Do you have any idea what you are going to tell Jason?" she asked quietly. "It might help if we go over it together before we get there."

Logan looked out the window at the snowy park. He wished that it was spring and that he could walk beneath the blooming cherry trees with Georgie. Somehow, he knew that she would enjoy something as simple as that. It didn't take much to impress her, and he was living for the next moment that he could make her smile. Chiding himself for focusing on anything other than Coop, he turned back to the warm brunette beside him. "I am going to tell him what little I know. Jason knows that Cooper is my best friend, so he'll take me seriously on this. It'd be like him going to the police with information on Sonny."

"But Jason would never do that," Georgie pointed out. Logan winced at her comment, causing her to slide her hand across the console to grab his. "That's not what I meant, Lo. I meant that Jason would never step up and do the right thing like you are. If it meant putting Sonny at risk of jail, Jason would keep any secret. You know that there are more important things out there like protecting innocent lives."

Shaking his head, he couldn't believe that she thought that was why he was doing this. "It's not like that, Sweet Potato. I don't you to go thinking I'm some noble guy looking to make a difference in the world. I'm much more selfish than that," he confessed. "Jason would betray Sonny for only one reason, and that reason is his family – Carly and the boys. He would do anything to keep them safe. I'm telling Morgan what I know about Coop because I have to protect you."

"I don't care what you say," she argued lightly. "I know that beneath that cocky exterior, you really do care about other people. Maybe I'm at the top of that list, but you do care. You know that this guy could go after my sister or Lulu. He could try to grab Carly again or maybe Robin. There are too many people connected to the people that you care about for you to keep Coop's secrets. You can use me as an excuse all you want, but we both know the truth. Lucky for you, it can be our little secret."

"Thanks," he grinned. He tapped his fingers against his jean-clad thigh while they waited at a stoplight a few blocks from Jason's building. In the car in front of him, he could see Milo pick up his cell phone. He was likely informing his boss of their impending arrival. When they suddenly made a turn in the opposite direction, he became confused.

"What the hell?" Georgie muttered.

Logan wasn't sure how to respond, so he slid his own phone from the inside of his leather jacket. Dialing Milo, he listened as the guard explained that Jason and Spinelli were staying at the cottage with Carly. Georgie wasn't the only one receiving personal protection at all hours of the day. The boss' ex-wife was a top priority for the entire organization as she was the one that would most affect the leading men. After he had disconnected the call, he looked to his own driver. "We're headed to Carly's. Jason is going to be staying there with Spinelli."

Just nodding, Georgie didn't ask any more questions. Jason and Logan had both told her that the less she knew, the better she would be. Instead, she opted to tease Logan, hoping to lighten his mood in the last few moments before he sold out his best friend in the world. For her. Again. "So, what do you think of my driving? I think I could teach you a thing or two."

"Oh, really?" he taunted back. "The only reason you're driving so slow is because of your double escort, Lead Foot. I remember seeing you pull that sporty little convertible into the back lot at Kelly's. I've never seen such a little thing create so much dust."

"I get it from my dad," she said proudly. "I grew up watching him peel out of our driveway on the way to a call. He can get anywhere faster and safer than anyone else I've ever known. When he taught me to drive, he was so meticulous because he wanted to teach me that same skill. I guess between my biological parents' role as a spy and his as the police commissioner, it's likely that my future could be in law enforcement. He figures that it'll look good at a résumé."

"I can see it now," Logan mused. "Right between math tutoring and president of the writers' club, you could list it under your extracurricular activities."

"Special skills," she corrected him with a giggle. She was getting ready to tease him about his own bare résumé when she realized they were at Carly's. Like a ton of bricks, the weight of what's to come hit her all at once. She suddenly felt so scared, so frozen in her seat. "Are you sure about this?"

Turning to her, Logan searched her eyes in a vain attempt to reassure her. Of course he wasn't sure about what they were going to do, but she had convinced him that it was the right thing to do. She was scared now, but her earlier instincts had been so clear. Jason needed to know every possibility, every angle. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if anything happened at Coop's hands and he stood by idle and silent. "Just tell me that you love me, and I know that it'll be okay."

"I love you," she promised, leaning across the seat to kiss him. Outside the SUV, they were awarded with an impromptu and embarrassing round of applause. Blushing deeply, she ducked her head as she climbed out of the car. Logan ignored the friendly razzing of his co-workers as he jogged around to meet her. Tucking her firmly against him, he brushed past Milo to knock on the front door. As Max thundered towards the living room inside, Georgie took one last look up at him and repeated her earlier sentiment. "I love you."

A small smile crept onto his lips as the burling guard let them into Carly's cozy living room. Jason was seated on the couch, Carly huddled next to him. "Hey," he nodded as Logan led Georgie into the room. They took the empty love seat adjacent to the couch. "What do you got?"

"Maybe Georgie and I should excuse ourselves," Carly suggested. Usually, she would want to be in the middle of it, but she wanted to protect the young woman in the room. She hadn't been exposed to the darkness of Jason's world, and although she would be if she stayed with Logan, there was no way Carly was going to let it happen on her watch. Georgie deserved to maintain what little innocence she still had left. "We'll just go into the kitchen to have some coffee. Call if you need anything."

Squeezing Logan's hand one last time, Georgie followed Carly dutifully out of the room to let the two men speak. She wanted to be by Logan's side when he told the truth about Cooper, but she knew that this was somewhat about business. She had been around enough to understand what that meant. "Do you ever get used to this?" she asked Carly as they sat down at her oak dining room table. "I mean, I know that you have been around this for years. Does it ever get any easier?"

"It's a routine and eventually, it becomes apart of your life," she explained. "You come to understand what different words mean and how to interpret what's about to happen by the moods of the people around you. I'm also pretty fond of eavesdropping as I'm sure Jase would tell you. They try to keep me in the dark because they don't want me to be held as an accomplice or accessory if anything bad happens. They also don't want me to worry. But I'm a woman and a mother – it's in the job description."

Georgie tried to imagine what a life as mob princess would be like. She figured that it wouldn't really be all that different from the childhood she had. Being a cop's daughter had left her afraid for her father's life many nights when he was late coming home. She knew that calls in the middle of the night were rarely a good thing and had been dismissed on more than one occasion when Mac needed to talk about a case. "I guess you just learn to live with the fear."

Carly nodded. "It's kind of like losing someone. It's always there, this dull ache in the pit of your stomach, but you get to a point where it doesn't consume you," she proclaimed. "There are times when it becomes unbearable, especially after the kids were kidnapped. The fear literally drove me crazy. Still, I rebounded because of the love of the very same men who put me at risk. These guys become your family once you're on the inside. I know that any of Sonny's men would give their life for my children and me. That's irreplaceable."

"I guess I'm kind of on the inside now," Georgie acknowledged. "Logan is a part of the organization, and I'm a part of Logan. At some point, I just started to matter here. I don't know how it happened, but it did."

"It only takes the love of one good man to put the entire crazy whirlwind in motion," Carly told her. "For you, that was Logan. For me, it was Jason. Ten years later, it's still Jason. If you can still say the same thing in a decade, you'll consider it all well worth it."

In the next room, Logan had just filled Jason in on everything that he knew. The older man was quiet as he mulled over the details, taking in each one individually. Spinelli had managed to find out a lot of the information, but Logan had definitely filled in all the holes. "I can't risk keeping Coop out there. We're going to have to pick him up."

"I know," Logan retorted. "Let me do it. He'll come with me peacefully. I can get him to a safe house so that you can question him. If it isn't him, we can let him go. If it is, you'll have him secluded. Either way, it's the best route."

Jason was impressed that the young man had been able to work out a plan so quickly. It was likely the same one he would have come up with himself. "There's one in Elmwood that we can use. No one has any idea that it even exists. I'll have a team waiting on the end to receive him. I want a car to follow you in case he tries to do anything."

"And what about the girls?" Logan asked. "I don't want to leave Georgie alone, and I'm guessing that you don't want Carly to stay here. If we're picking up Coop, we should probably think about Maxie, too. I can't let anything happen to her or Georgie would be inconsolable."

"Max and Spinelli will stay with them at my penthouse. Carly will hate it, but she'll do it if I ask," Jason declared. "We'll do it tomorrow night after midnight. Don't tell Georgie more than she needs to know and make sure that you stick tight with her until she's at my place."

Logan nodded before asking the inevitable, "Is this going to work?"

Jason shrugged as he didn't have any real answer. "It will because it has to."


	18. Chapter 18

Carly grumbled to herself as she followed the strange creature that Jason called his friend into the penthouse, dragging her designer suitcase behind her. Spinelli held the door open for her chivalrously, doing his best to act like the gentleman her best friend always was in her presence. "Thanks," she mumbled as she brushed past him and into Jason's living room. She knew the penthouse as well as her own home having live here and visited thousands of times over the past decade. Dropping her luggage at the foot of the stair case, she threw her set of keys on his desk and flopped in the middle of the tan sofa. "I really need to get a decorator in here to fix this place up. I've told Jason time and time again that neutrals are over. He needs to get a richer palette."

Spinelli pretended to know what she was talking about as he nodded thoughtfully. "The regrettably pink room upstairs could use a more masculine touch," he told her. "Stone Cold's former wife, Brenda, decorated it to her liking, and I guess that no one ever got around to changing it."

"Interior design isn't really Jason's thing," Carly muttered. She stopped listening as he began to ramble on about the bedroom upstairs and looked at the sterling silver frames that lined his mantle. Images of her children grinned back at her, reminding her once again of the reason she had agreed to stay at the penthouse. She had fought with Jason for a good hour before giving in. If he needed her to stay here so that he could do his job, Carly would do it. She just didn't have to like it. "How does Jason stand you? He tells me that I talk too much, but you have got me beat. You barely take a breath between sentences."

Tittering nervously, the young man folded his arms over his body. "I think he has gotten used to tuning me out by now. But even when I don't think he's listening, he manages to hear the really important stuff. The rest of the time, he just lets me talk things through until I run out of stuff to say."

"I know the feeling," she smiled, thinking about the endless conversations she had with Jason. There were so many times when she was sure that he quit listening half way through, but he always remembered the things that mattered to her. "So, Jase tells me that we're not going to be here alone. I guess Maxie and Georgie are going to be staying upstairs in the boys' room. Want to tell me what's going on?"

Unsure if Carly was fishing for details or testing his loyalty to Stone Cold, Spinelli stared at her silently. "You know that Stone Cold doesn't talk about business," he warned her carefully. "I am not at liberty to say why the three of you have been summoned to the penthouse for safekeeping."

"It's okay, Spinelli, Jason told me everything," she retorted honestly. "I just wanted to know if you would tell me. He'd be impressed, you know. I always manage to get everything out of the guards, especially Max. I think he's figured out by now that it's easier just to tell me himself. I can avoid having to yell at him, and he can avoid having to down half a bottle of aspirin when the headache comes on."

"You sound like the Blonde One talking about the Jackal," he chuckled. He wasn't surprised as many people had drawn a comparison between the Valkyrie and his best friend. He liked to think that they could draw the same comparison between Stone Cold and himself. In ten years, he and Lulu could be the next Carly and Jason. "Georgie and Maxie are on their way over right now. Milo is going to drop them off."

"I know that Milo has been sticking pretty close to Georgie as has Logan Hayes. I have to admit that I'm surprised she would get mixed up with a guy like that," Carly declared. "She saw what he put her sister and Lulu through. Then again, it's pretty hard to stay away from a bad boy. I'm just glad my dear cousin finally saw the light and is spending her days with Dillon. I like him, even if he is a Quartermaine."

Spinelli was surprised when his heart didn't wrench at the thought of Film Guy with his best friend. It had taken many months, but he had managed to find a way to dull the pain of not having the Blonde One as his own. She was finally happy and that was all that mattered to him. More importantly, she was safe in Canada with Dillon, far away from the drama that was coursing through Port Charles. "Stone Cold and the Unworthy One have been very careful to protect you and Wise Georgie. Hopefully, peace and order will soon be restored to our fair city."

"How long have you lived here? There's always some kind of drama in Port Charles," Carly giggled before turning dark. "It must be hard for Logan, thinking that your best friend is capable of something so horrific." Over the past ten years, there had been many times that Carly had had to face similar thoughts. However, she knew that if Jason had hurt someone, there was a good reason behind it. With these killings, the strangulations were so senseless. The women had innocent and kind. Maybe if it was her or Maxie, she could see some justification behind it, but Leticia and Emily had never hurt anyone.

"It hasn't been easy for him, trust me," Georgie announced behind them, breaking Spinelli and Carly from their private conversation. Behind her, Maxie stood with her hand on her hip, waiting for a breathless Milo to reappear with her bags. "It's scary believing that your family could do something like that, but I guess you'd understand."

Carly didn't blame the young girl for not understanding the life she had chosen, but she knew that she would very soon if she stayed with Logan. Innocence didn't stick around very long in the mob world. "Hey, I didn't here you guys come in. Milo, you can take their things upstairs to the boys' room." The guard smiled gratefully at her before heading toward the bedroom. Turning to Maxie and Georgie, she put on her best hostess smile and vowed to make the night as comfortable as possible. "Jason keeps a room here for the boys when they stay. It has two beds, so I thought you might be most comfortable there. I'll sleep in Jase's room right down the hall if you need anything."

"Thanks," Maxie replied softly. She wasn't comfortable staying in the penthouse. Logan and Georgie had been fairly vague when they had picked her up, but on the long drive over, her younger sister had explained the entire situation in full. She was still having a hard time believing the man she loved was capable of anything like this. However, she couldn't discount Logan's strong convictions. He wouldn't so openly betray Cooper if he wasn't absolutely sure. "I think I'm going to go upstairs to freshen up."

"Why don't you show her around the upstairs, Spinelli?" Carly asked politely. He nodded obediently and guided the young blonde toward the staircase. They could both read the unease and anxiety in her pale face. When they had disappeared out of earshot, Carly led Georgie back toward the couch and motioned for her to sit down. "How are you holding up? Jason tells me that the last week has been rather scary for you."

"You have no idea," Georgie replied. "Well, I guess you probably do. We've been stuck in the same situation. I don't know how you get used to the constant guards and being told what to do. I try to fight them on some things, but they don't let me win very much. We do a lot of compromising, mostly on my part. This constant threat is starting to get to me. If it wasn't for Logan, I don't know what I would do."

"Welcome to our world. I've said those exact words so many times about Jason. It's not an easy life to choose, but we do it anyways because we love them. I walked into it willingly ten years ago when I met Jason and then again when I married Sonny. It takes a strong woman to survive it. I know that it's not easy, but they somehow make it worth it."

Georgie smiled as she absorbed Carly's words. She was likely the only other person in the world who could understand why she was choosing to be with Logan. "I don't feel safe unless I'm with him. I know that he would do anything to protect me."

"Congratulations, it sounds like you have your very own Jason Morgan. Make sure that you're up for this now because the longer you wait, the harder it would be to walk away."

"It'd already be too hard to ever even think about it. Like you said, it's not easy, but we love them. They're worth it, so we stay. You stayed for Jason. You're still staying for Jason. I hope that I can say the same thing for Logan ten years from now."

"He's the one constant in my life and other than my boys, the one true thing I can believe in," she mused. "That's why I'm here tonight. I trust that he is going to do what he has to do to make sure that I'm safe. He doesn't have to have someone else do his dirty work like Sonny or run away like Jax. He just does it because he is the one who promised to always protect me. I know that Logan made a similar vow to you. If you are lucky enough to find someone who will actually keep that promise, you hold onto it with everything you got."

"And you would do anything to protect them right back," Georgie said knowingly. "I see it in the way that you look at Jason and the shine in his eyes when he's talking about you. You two would walk through fire for each other. He would give his life for you without question and you would give him your last breath if it meant even one moment of life for him. Your love for each other is selfless. That's what I'm trying to build with Logan."

Carly was struck, not for the first time, about how mature Georgie was for her age. The wisdom behind her big brown eyes gave truth to Spinelli's nickname for the police commissioner's youngest daughter. "I truly hope that you get that. When this is all over, you will finally have the time to discover each other in a way that doesn't limit you because of the circumstances. And when things get tough again as they inevitably will, you can rely on each other because you've already been through hell together."

"I just hate that this is what brought us together."

"It's better than how Jason and I began."

"Oh, really? How is that even possible?" Georgie questioned. "We were locked together in a dark room at Wyndamere with no power, hiding from the likes of an anonymous strangler and the insane Anthony Zacharra."

It was pretty bad, Carly conceded, but their beginning had been just as rough. "I hooked up with Jason without knowing who he was and then slept with his brother. When I finally figured out what had happened, I showed up in the pouring rain and convinced him to lie about Michael's paternity. We started on a lie."

"Do you regret it?"

She knew that she should have some big lesson about why her choice had been the wrong one, but the truth was that Carly didn't regret it. She had never regretted it. Jason had been the best father for Michael during that first year, and if she hadn't showed up that night, her life would be entirely different. She wouldn't have Morgan and she wouldn't have Jason. "Not for a second," she answered. "It remains one of the best choices I have ever made. I'd do the same thing all over again. Every single time."

"Me too," Georgie grinned. "I never knew that I needed Logan, but I did. That night, he is the only one who could have gotten me through it. All of this, I know that I can survive it because he loves me. I am drawing my strength from that love. It sounds silly, but I know that you understand what I mean. I never thought you and I would have anything in common, but we share this. This is our life."

"And I promise that if you can keep trusting that bond, that love, you will never find anything more worth it," Carly said. "There are plenty of long and lonely nights when you are scared for their life. You'll cry yourself to sleep when they don't come home. You'll want to fight like hell when they're caught or hurt. You'll be stretched to limits you never thought you'd reach, but you'll find a way to get through it. You have to, you don't have a choice. It's never easy, but Georgie, it's always worth it."

"Why aren't you with him, Carly? It's so clear how much you love each other."

Ah, the inevitable question she had considered herself many times over the year and was occasionally raised by a few people in their mutual lives. "I used to have a good answer for that, but none of those reasons really seem to matter anymore," she confessed. "Who knows what will happen if we can get through this. Right now, we just need to take it one day at a time together. Things between Jason and me have always been inexplicably complicated. I'm starting to realize that you can't pretend forever. Eventually, the truth is going to come out."

"He loves you."

"I know," Carly nodded. "I love him, too. That was never the problem. It still isn't. The fact is that Jason and I are scared to admit how much we love each other because it would change everything. It takes a lot of courage to shake up your entire world. He is the bravest man I've ever known, but I scare the hell out of him. I have the power to destroy him. He could destroy me. You can't take something like that for granted."

"So what do you do? You can't run forever."

"We've never ran away from each other," she assured her. "We love dangerous men, Georgie. There are all these obstacles and hurdles in the way. You have to navigate your own path to find what you are looking for. Sometimes, life takes you down different paths and sometimes they converge as one. Still, in the end, I trust that Jason and I will end up in the same place. The way I look at it, we're running toward each other. He is my only ending."

"I hope that it's a happy ending," Georgie declared softly. "For all of us."


	19. Chapter 19

Jason and Logan had been sitting in the dim parking lot behind Kelly's for more than hour, waiting for Cooper to return from his overnight shift at the police station. The lot was empty save for Mike's battered car. He had arrived early to open the diner but knew the protocol of silence whenever it came to Sonny and Jason's work. It took only a curt nod from his son's best friend and he understood that whoever they were waiting for would disappear without a word. If the police came to question him later, he would lie and say that he had never seen the icy hit man. Whatever Jason was planning, Mike trusted that it was likely more than justified.

"What time did your guy say that he would be back again?" Logan asked absently, looking up at the darkened window that belonged to his best friend. It had been months since he had visited Coop at Kelly's, probably before he had hooked up with Maxie. They were just now starting to get back on track, their friendship making a comeback. Now, he was staking out his so-called brother so that Jason Morgan could get the truth out of him. Honesty could be such a cruel bitch. "Maybe I should call to check on the girls."

Looking sideways at his companion, Jason couldn't help but sympathize with the younger man's apprehension. The first time he had to deal with one of his friends, a guard within the organization who had betrayed Sonny, he had felt so anxious and guilty. However, years of experience had left him numb to such situations. In fact, unless it had to do with Max or Milo, Jason knew that he could get the job done without question. He wasn't sure if this made him happy or not, but it didn't really matter. It was just the way that it was. "He should be back any time. If you want to talk to Georgie, you better do it now. Once he gets here, you're not going to have a chance again for who knows how long."

Logan wished pointlessly for privacy as he turned away from Jason to place the call. Jason didn't seem to notice as he pulled his own cell phone from the inside pocket of his trademark black leather jacket. Within a few moments, the usually stoic mobster's voice had dropped to an intimate level. From the way he spoke, Logan gathered that he was speaking with Carly. Shaking his head, Logan pressed the speed dial button and waited for Georgie to bring him similar comfort. "Hello, Sweet Potato."

"Logan," she sighed, clearly sounding relieved. "Is it over yet? Can you come home? I can't wait to see you."

"Not yet," he retorted regretfully. He would give anything to be with her upstairs in his bedroom, their arms wrapped around each other. Instead, he glanced at Jason and reminded himself once again that this would be worth it in the end if it meant keeping her safe. "I just wanted to call and check in with you. I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to call again, but I promise that I'll get to you as soon as I can. I'd tell you not to worry, but we both know that'd be pointless. Instead, I'll just tell you that I love you."

"I love you," she echoed automatically. She wanted more than anything to stop him from hanging up the phone. She wanted to tell him to just leave Coop alone, that they could leave Port Charles if it meant he didn't have to hurt his best friend. He wouldn't follow them beyond city limits when there were other targets at arm's length. They could be safe if they left, she tried to reason. Still, she knew that there was no way that she would be able to convince him not to go through with this. If it was Coop, Logan would want to punish him for the hell he had put them all through. If it wasn't Coop, he would be able to rest easier at night and turn his focus to finding the real killer. She still wasn't sure which she was hoping for. "I guess I should let you go, huh?"

"Yeah," Logan relented as a pair of headlines flashed into the rearview mirror. It was Coop's dark, non-descript police cruiser. "Stay in the penthouse and be careful. Love you." He didn't dare wait for a reply before ending the call and dropping it back into his pocket. Jason soon followed suit, piecing his gun together while he listened to Carly's final words to him. It was a routine for him, combining work and family. Logan still wasn't used to the idea of either. "He's here."

Jason nodded as he handed Logan his own weapon, a black handgun with a lengthy silencer attached to the end. "Let's go," he ordered bluntly, swinging the door of the SUV open. Logan followed him across the dark parking lot, approaching Cooper from behind. Jason easily grabbed his friend in a stronghold and yanked him over the idling car. In less than a minute, they were back in the dark vehicle to head over to the safe house.

Logan sat in the back seat next to his best friend, carefully securing his hands in cuffs made from twine. Coop looked at him with a mixed stare of anger, fear and shock. "What the hell, Logan?" he asked angrily, fighting against his friend's stronger grip.

No reply came as Logan dominated over the Coop. "Stop fighting and stop talking," he ordered. "If you say another word, I'll have to gag you, too. Don't make me do that, Coop. This is hard enough as it is."

"Oh, yeah, I could see how this would be hard for you," Coop deadpanned sarcastically.

Logan just stared back at him for a moment before averting his gaze toward the rearview mirror. Jason gave him a small, reassuring nod to remind him that this was the plan. They had to do this to keep Carly, Maxie and Georgie safe. Their lives were at stake here, and in the end, that was more important than anything else. "I told you not to talk."

"I don't give a damn what you told me," Coop spat angrily. "Why are you doing this? Are you doing it because Morgan there told you to do it? This is a new low, even for you, Logan. I never thought that you would betray your brother. We're supposed to be best friends. What the hell happened to that?"

"I told you not to talk," Logan repeated in a low voice. He reached into the pocket of his black jacket and pulled out a roll of duct tape. Ripping off a piece with his teeth, he regretfully pressed it over Coop's mouth. He struggled for a moment, his muffled protests eventually losing out to the sticky binding. "Just sit back and enjoy the ride. We'll be there in a few minutes."

Turning away from Coop, Logan leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes, willing himself to relax. The first phase of the plan was well underway, and as soon as they arrived at the safe house, there would be guards to handle all the physical threats. Jason had promised that Logan wouldn't have to harm Cooper. Logan knew the only way he could actually go through with it was if his friend revealed his identity as the Text Message Killer.

"We're here," Jason announced loudly as the car jerked to a stop. Logan didn't look back at his friend as he slid from the car. Two burly guards soon appeared and dragged Cooper out of the vehicle and into the metal warehouse. They were a few miles on the outskirts of Port Charles, all the way across town from the docks. Jason followed the entourage into the building, sliding the door shut with a loud thud. Cooper was thrown into a plain wooden chair, his arms secured tightly behind him. "I guess you're probably wondering why you're here. Now, we can make this simple or we can make it hard. The more you cooperate, the less likely you are to get hurt. Do you understand me?"

Cooper started to argue but quickly thought better of it when Jason shifted his coat back to reveal the pair of guns resting in a holster on his hips. He simply nodded once before Jason sat down opposite of him. "We've been doing a little research into your past and it seems you have a history with violence toward women."

"Do you really think that you're one to talk?" Coop asked.

Jason smirked coldly and lifted his chin. One of the guards stepped toward Coop and pressed a cold gun to his temple. "Don't make this harder than it has to be," he suggested evenly. "Unlike you, I would never hurt a woman. I would, however, kill someone that has hurt the people that I love. Logan here tells me that you strangled a female soldier on your base when you were in Iraq. That's the same way my baby sister died. I can't help but wonder if there's a connection."

Logan strode over to sit next to Jason. He leaned across the table and stared boldly into his best friend's eyes. "Someone has been threatening Georgie. Carly has gotten a lot of those same threats. Guess whose number popped up when we ran a trace?"

"I would never hurt Maxie's sister," Cooper insisted. It was the first time he truly felt fear since he had been picked up. "I love Maxie. I couldn't do that to her."

"See, that's the thing, Coop. You were angry at Maxie for months for what she did to you. You hated me for making that stupid bet and sleeping with her," Logan reminded him. "You didn't love Maxie when this whole thing started. In fact, I believe that you felt quite the opposite. Did you start this whole thing as a way to get back at me?"

"I have nothing to do with this."

"And why exactly did you go after Carly?" Logan asked. "Is it because you knew how much she meant to Jason and Sonny? Were you trying to get back at them for holding the hostage situation at the Metro Court over you? Maybe that's why you went after Emily, too, or maybe she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Logan, come on, you're my best friend. You know that I couldn't do something like this."

"That's what I thought when we were in Iraq, but I was wrong then. I have too much invested this time. I can't afford to be wrong about you again, Coop," Logan shot back. "You see, one of the ladies that you are threatening here happens to be the woman that I love. You can hate me all you want to, but I'll be damned if I let you do anything to her. We're just here to make sure that doesn't happen."

Cooper scoffed loudly at his friend. "What are you going to do, Logan, kill me? You could never do that to me, not even over some girl you claim to love," he boasted. "I told you once, and I'll tell you again. I have nothing to do with this."

Hanging his head, Logan shook his head sadly. Jason remained quiet next to him, allowing the younger man to take the lead. "Until this moment, I wasn't sure, Coop. I was stupidly still holding onto the slim chance that you had nothing to do with this. I was wrong, though, wasn't I?"

"No."

"Coop, you killed Leticia. You killed Emily. You've threatened Georgie and Carly."

"No."

"I can't help you if you won't tell the truth, Coop."

"Either way, I die. Either way, I lose."

"That's not entirely true," Logan argued. "If you can just tell the truth, you'll save me a lot of trouble. I won't have to kill you myself. I won't have to be haunted by your memory for the rest of my life. You know that I have to do this to keep Georgie safe. I won't let you hurt her or Maxie anymore. Either way, this ends badly. You get to decide how it goes."

Cooper looked up into Logan's pleading eyes and finally felt guilt for what he had done in Iraq. He had suppressed the memories for years, struggling to forget how he had held the young woman down until her final breath escaped from her lungs. He still couldn't explain how he had found himself in that situation, and until Logan slept with Maxie last summer, he never thought he would find himself there again. However, in the weeks that followed, he vowed to bring revenge any way he could. Things had happened to him in his life to turn him into the monster he had become, and now, he knew that there would never be any going back. Maxie and Logan were the only two people who had ever loved him, and now, he had nearly destroyed them both. He had taken three innocent lives; Leticia, Emily and Penny had nothing to do with his vacant ache. It was time for this to end. It needed to be over. He needed for it to be over. "I did it."

Logan nodded silently, staring into Cooper's eyes for the final time. Standing up, he started for the exit of the warehouse. When he reached the door, he turned back on his heel to look at his best friend. "I know," he called, causing the hostage to turn around. He didn't have the courage to wait for a reply, so he let himself out of the building. Outside, in the cool air, he leaned against the building. His entire body was shaking so badly from the anxiety that his legs gave out. As he slumped to the ground, he heard the hollow echo of a single gunshot.

A minute later, Jason appeared at his side. "The cleaning crew is working now. I know that this is a lot to take in, but we have to get out of here. I'm sorry."

Waving his hand dismissively, Logan stood up and stared up at the starry night sky. No words could explain how he felt or ease the overwhelming emotions that whirled around inside his heart and mind. "It's over," he declared sadly. "It's finally over."


	20. Chapter 20

The drive back to Jason's penthouse was a long quiet one. Logan stared out the window the entire time, his eyes inexplicably to the blurry street lights passing them by. For each brief, shining moment, it reminded him of the millions of glittering stars that had lined the night sky in the Iraqi desert. He could remember all the hours he had spent with Cooper, just talking about life in the States and the people that they missed most. Now that his best friend was gone, he realized they would never have a conversation like that. Cooper had died long before Jason shot him in that warehouse. Logan's best friend, his brother, had died the very moment he wrapped a telephone cord around Leticia's delicate neck and stole her life from her. The man who died tonight was nothing more than a stranger.

Logan felt like that should have made him feel better, but it didn't. No matter how angry he was or how justified the retaliation had been, he knew that tonight would haunt him for the rest of his life. He was left with all these questions and unresolved anger. And now that Cooper was finally gone, Logan was left to clean up the mess in the very long aftermath. He was the one who was going to have to call Coop's mom. He was the one who was going to have to tell Maxie. He would have to pretend not to know what happened when Jason was inevitably questioned about the police rookie's disappearance. Logan was the one who would pay for it. Coop was dead, and he had gotten off easy.

"Are you okay with what happened back there?" Jason asked finally, breaking several minutes of silence. Neither of them had said a word since leaving the warehouse. It wasn't the first time Logan had heard someone die, but it was the first time it had really mattered to him. This wasn't an enemy, or at least he hadn't always been. "I don't want you to worry about what happens next. Our guys will set it up to look like it was a suicide. There is a confession note written in Coop's handwriting explaining everything."

Turning to look at Jason, Logan could only nod. There were so many questions racing through his mind. He was dreading making the call to Virginia, but more than that, he hated what this was going to do to Maxie. Very few people would be made privy to the true events of tonight, but he owed the blonde vixen the truth. Georgie and Carly were in the trusted inner circle, but they hadn't lost the man they loved. In fact, the men they loved were behind the shooting and would return safely home to them. Logan was the only one who could understand what Maxie was going through and even if he knew it was the right thing, he could feel the same pain that she was.

"When we get back to the penthouse, I am going to tell Maxie what happened. I know that she won't react well, but she needs to know the truth," Logan replied. He wasn't asking permission. He was telling Jason the way that it was going to be. "Do we have any real evidence that Coop was behind this."

Jason reached down and pulled a digital voice recorder from his pocket. Handing it over to Logan, he told him to press play. They listened to the conversation from earlier over again. Logan stopped the tape just before the eventual sound of the gun popping. He knew what was coming and had no desire to live it over again. "Play it for her once and then return it to me. I plan on reformatting the card immediately and then having the player destroyed. I just made it in case we needed proof."

By the time Jason had finished his instructions, the black SUV had come to a stop in the underground parking garage at Harborview Towers. Logan tumbled out of the vehicle, not at all surprised to see a line of three women waiting eagerly for their return. Spinelli and Milo flanked them on either side. Just as Logan was about to call out a greeting, Georgie was across the cement in record time to fly into his open arms. Lifting her off the ground, he buried her face in her soft hair and inhaled deeply. This was the only thing that could have ever made him feel better. "It's done," he whispered into her ear as he sat her on the ground again. Georgie looked at him wide eyes, questioning if he had gone through with it. With a nod, Logan tried to muster a smile for her. "He's done."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, leaning forward to hug him tightly. Logan could feel Jason slip past him to greet Carly. The other couple was quiet as the tall blonde held on tightly to her best friend, silent sobs muffled in her throat. Returning his attention on the brunette in front of him, Logan reached for her hand and wove their fingers together. She leaned into him in response, pressing her hip against his thigh. "Do you want me to tell her?"

Logan shook his head as everyone headed for the elevators to return to the top floor. The lift was quiet as they took the ride up and piled back into the penthouse. Carly and Jason disappeared toward the kitchen to make coffee while Georgie convinced Spinelli to play a game of pool with her. Left alone with Maxie, Logan asked her to come upstairs so that they could talk. She hadn't said a word since they had returned, offering only a brave smile as he guided her up the steps. "Maxie, there is something I need to tell you," he confessed, running his hand over the electronic device in the pocket of his leather jacket.

Maxie stepped away from him and paced toward the window. "Just tell me then," she insisted firmly. "Get it over with. Whatever you are about to say is something I don't want to hear."

"Coop's dead," he replied simply. "He was behind all of the killings. He was the one who was threatening Carly and Georgie."

"He would never do that," she shot back hotly, recoiling when he tried to reach out to comfort her. "He would have never done that. Georgie is my sister. He loves me. Cooper could never kill anyone, especially not a woman. You were just jealous!"

Silently, Logan reached into his pocket and produced the tape recorder. Without any explanation, he replayed the recording and watched as her features went from furious to devastated. Once again, he stopped it before the gunshot, wanting to spare her from at least that much. When he sat the tape recorder back on the bed, he tried again to comfort her. "He may have loved you, Maxie, but he couldn't forgive you. He couldn't forgive me. He wanted to punish us both by terrorizing the people connected to us. He wanted to hurt the people that we loved so that we would hurt like he did," Logan explained softly. "Cooper killed Leticia, Emily and Penny for what we did to him. He went after Carly and Georgie. He tried to pin it all on us, but he did this."

Tears had started to fall as Maxie wailed. She flew across the room, reminding Logan very much of the first night with Georgie. She started to pound on his chest relentlessly, desperate to inflict as much pain on him as consumed her in the moment. And like that night, he stood there taking it all in. She would tire herself eventually and then he would try to talk to her. "I hate you!" she screamed repeatedly, hitting him over and over again. Logan only nodded. "I hate you, do you hear me? I hate you! You are a killer just like him. You're no better."

"I know," Logan replied sadly. "I know that what I did was not any better, but I had to stop him. I had to make sure that he quit hurting the people that we care about. Leticia and Emily had nothing to do with this. I barely even knew who Penny was. What happened when he did get to Carly or even worse, Georgie? I wasn't going to risk losing her to him. Your sister, my heart, is worth more than him."

Maxie started to reply when Georgie stepped into the room. Positioning herself between her sister and her boyfriend, she grabbed Maxie's wrists and forced her into a hug. "Logan was just protecting us," she whispered to her sister. Holding her tightly, Georgie began to stroke the blonde's hair as though she was a small child beyond all consolation. Logan stepped out of the room to leave the girls alone, electing to sit just outside the door. He could hear Georgie's soothing words as she took care of Maxie in a way that only she could manage. After a few minutes, she left her sister alone and found him waiting for her. "She's resting now. It's been a long night."

"Tell me about it," he remarked, finding the strength to stand up. Georgie reached for him immediately and wrapped her smaller body into his. He melted into her touch, thanking God that she wasn't angry and understood why he had to do what he did. "I'm sorry I put you through this."

Georgie shook her head against his chest. "You saved me from this," she reminded him. "I know that this wasn't hard and that you are going through things of your own. I can't imagine the pain you must feel. I want you to know that I'm here for you like you've been here for me. I'm still going to need you to help Maxie get through this, but you are my first priority. I don't know what I would have done without you over the past few weeks."

"Well, it's over now," he sighed, finally giving himself a reprieve. It was going to be hard, but they would get through this. With her by his side, in his corner, he could do anything. Taking her by the hand, he led her down the stairs to where Carly was sitting with Jason and Spinelli. "Maxie is upstairs sleeping in the spare bedroom. She's pretty worn out. I know we should probably stick around in case she needs us, but I'd really like to take Georgie home. If Maxie wakes up, can you have someone bring her to Mac's or by my apartment?"

Jason nodded. "I'll take care of anything she needs."

"The tape recorder is upstairs," he told his boss before helping Georgie with her coat. She went to hug Spinelli and then Carly, holding on to the woman for a moment longer than Logan or Jason would have expected. Logan bid them all a goodbye before escorting his girlfriend out of the penthouse and as far away from the reality of the night as he could.

Once they got home, no words were necessary. Georgie took him by the hand and led him upstairs to their bedroom. Undressing each other slowly, deliberately, they made love for hours. It was a quiet and desperate passion, one so inundated with fear and need. Afterwards, she lay in his arms as silently as they had come to his room. Finally, with a coy smile on his pert lip, he raised himself to an elbow to look down at her. Chestnut hair splayed across his crisp white pillow, she looked like a goddess completely deserving of his worship. He knew that the timing was bad but also understood that moments like these were fleeting. Life was going to go on, so why shouldn't it start now?

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

Georgie thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Nothing."

"What are you doing next week?"

"Same answer. 

"Next year?"

"Who knows?" she giggled, looking at him as though he were slightly crazy.

"What about the rest of your life?"

"You're crazy."

"Probably," he agreed with a wide grin. "Want to spend it with me?"

"Which part?"

"All of it."

She pretended to think again before smiling. "Sure."

"So, what do you say, Sweet Potato?"

"To?"

"Marrying me? Being my wife?"

Georgie had thought about marriage many times over the years and had even committed to the act once with Dillon. However, in all those times, she had never imagined she would fall in love with a man like Logan Hayes. It was completely unexpected and totally unlike her. However, it had ended up being the most right thing she had ever done, no matter what convention dictated. It wasn't ideal, but nothing in life was ever right. Perfection was boring. She read for the adventure. She knew that was what life would be like with Logan. More importantly, she knew that their love was the best ride she had ever taken in her life. "Sure." And she was.

_Fin._


End file.
